Jorvik Gilbert & Sullivan Company

Iolanthe sees the House of Lords (the bastion of ineffectiveness and privilege) and the political system come in for criticism, with the suggestion that the peerage should no longer be hereditary, but obtainable by 'competitive examination'.

First performed in 1882, the topic is still very relevant today and shows how far (or not) we have come in 130 years!

Strephon, an Arcadian shepherd and son of Iolanthe, wants to marry Phyllis, a Ward of Chancery, but Phyllis' guardian, the Lord Chancellor, and half the peers in the House of Lords are in love with her and are determined to prevent the marriage from taking place.

Strephon, however, has a secret: he is half a fairy and the Fairy Queen is a powerful enemy. Soon the Peers and the Fairies are at war...

Can the Fairies reform the peerage and fill it with 'persons of intellect'? Will the peers preserve their 'cherished rights'? And will Strephon and Phyllis be separated forever?