Read more about THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD
The Gondoliers
The Mikado
The Sorcerer
The Martyr of Antioch
Ruddigore
The Yeomen of the Guard
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St Davids Players
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HMS Pinafore
The Pirates of Penzance
Trial by Jury
Iolanthe
Princess Ida
Utopia (Limited)
The Grand Duke
Patience
Thespis
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THE SAVOY OPERAS
THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD
or, THE MERRYMAN AND HIS MAID
#ExeterGandS
ST DAVID’S PLAYERS
Gilbert and Sullivan Society · Exeter · Devon
Written by W S Gilbert
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Premièred at The Savoy Theatre, London 3rd October 1888 running for 423 performances.
St David’s Players’ productions: (click to expand)
3 — 5 January 1974
St Georges Hall (The Corn Exchange), Exeter
Sir Richard Cholmondley — John Nicklin
Colonel Fairfax — Michael Woollacott
Sergeant Meryll — Hugh Darnley-Smith
Leonard Meryll — John Cope
Wilfred Shadbolt — Glenn Cannon
Jack Point — Barrie Youel
First Yeoman — Charles Dowell
Second Yeoman — Robin Johnson
Elsie Maynard — Eileen Clarke
Dame Carruthers — Carol Tolley
Phoebe Meryll — Lorraine Rodgers
Kate — Margaret Loo
Director — MICHAEL COOPER
Musical Director — SYLVIA DOIDGE
6 — 10 October 1987
The Barnfield Theatre, Exeter
Sir Richard Cholmondley — Andrew Sandilands
Colonel Fairfax — Gideon Levingston
Sergeant Meryll — John Stuart
Leonard Meryll — Philip Fairweather
Wilfred Shadbolt — Nick Lawrence
Jack Point — Ian Bond
First Yeoman — John Turner
Second Yeoman — John Draisey
Headsman — Rod Stewart
Elsie Maynard — Janet MacDonald
Dame Carruthers — Jane Edmund
Phoebe Meryll — Sue Odell
Kate — Phillipa Hodge
Director — IAN HARDY
Musical Director — MARK PERRY
10 — 15 October 1994
The Barnfield Theatre, Exeter
Sir Richard Cholmondley — Guy Bradley-Smith
Colonel Fairfax — Andrew May
Sergeant Meryll — Mark Jelley
Leonard Meryll — Phil Hobbs
Wilfred Shadbolt — John Stuart
Jack Point — Colin Mackenzie
First Yeoman — Richard Williams
Second Yeoman — Duncan Wright
First Citizen — Ian Young
Second Citizen — Phil Wakely
Headsman — Chris Pritchard
Elsie Maynard — Madeleine Haydon
Dame Carruthers — Margaret Thomson
Phoebe Meryll — Mandy Doherty
Kate — Bobbie Hiscock
Director — JANE EDMUND
Musical Director — DIANA DRAISEY
7 — 11 October 2003
The Barnfield Theatre, Exeter
Sir Richard Cholmondley — Henry Gooding
Colonel Fairfax — Andrew May
Sergeant Meryll — Bill Anderton
Leonard Meryll — Paul Butler
Wilfred Shadbolt — Ian Bond
Jack Point — Colin Mackenzie
First Yeoman — Brian Small
Second Yeoman — Mark Linnane
Third Yeoman — Peter Sergent
Fourth Yeoman — Tim Johns
First Citizen — Stephen Tregale
Second Citizen — Colin Wilson
Headsman — Stephen Tregale
Elsie Maynard — Penny Daw
Dame Carruthers — Jane Iffla
Phoebe Meryll — Sarah Haydon
Kate — Karis Ford
Director — JANE MAY
Musical Director — MARY PICKARD
___________________________________________________________________Shadbolt’s ‘When Jealous Torments’ and the Act One Finale couplets for the Third and Fourth Yeomen were included in this production.
11 — 15 October 2011
The Barnfield Theatre, Exeter
Sir Richard Cholmondley — Ian Spackman
Colonel Fairfax — Mark Hurford
Sergeant Meryll — Keith Wadlan
Leonard Meryll — James Dunk
Wilfred Shadbolt — John Stuart
Jack Point — Tim Hunt
First Yeoman — Stephen Mills
Second Yeoman — Tim Johns
First Citizen — Adrian Fox
Second Citizen — Paul Luffman
Headsman — Stephen Tregale
Elsie Maynard — Penny Daw
Dame Carruthers — Carolyn Harries
Phoebe Meryll — Judyth Aarons
Kate — Eleanor Bridgman
Chorus
James Dunk — Yeoman
Adrian Fox — Yeoman
Chris Gould — Farmer
Richard Johnson — Baker & Monk
Paul Luffman — Yeoman
David McIlroy — Yeoman
Mike Redman — Yeoman
Pete Sargent — Yeoman
Stephen Tregale — Butcher
Caroline Avery — Yeoman’s wife
Debbie Cole — Serving wench
Mandy Doherty — Innkeeper’s wife
Viv Glanfield — Courtier
Katie Grant — Kate’s friend
Susan Gunn-Johnson — Lady of the night
Heather Gould — Courtier
Alma Harding — Citizen
Patricia Hudson — Courtier
Kate Johns — Lady of the night
Annie Reid — Pickpocket
Gina Redman — Courtier
Laura Sutton — Pickpocket
Rose Swift — Yeoman’s wife
Hilary Todd — Butcher’s wife
Sandra Wadlan — Farmer’s wife
Debbie Walsh — Baker’s wife
Director — JANE MAY
Musical Director — MARK PERRY
A brief synopsis:
Set in the Tower of London during the 16th century, this is
the darkest and perhaps most emotionally engaging, of the
Savoy Operas.
Yeoman of the Guard is a convoluted tale of unrequited love. Fairfax is condemned to die because of a cousin’s trumped up charges and he marries a complete stranger in haste. However, he escapes and his bride finds herself tied to him for longer than she expected. Throw in several characters suffering from unrequited love including two travelling minstrels, the jailer and his daughter and you have a convoluted mix to sort out …