Lyrics by W.S. Gilbert, Music by Arthur Sullivan
SYNOPSIS and CAST
Prince Hilarion has been waiting for this day for twenty years. He is about to meet the girl he was betrothed to as a baby, to unite the kingdoms of Hildebrand and Gama. Unfortunately, this girl, Princess Ida, has decided that men are little more than monkeys in suits and she does not want to honour the commitment, so has retreated to Castle Adamant to run a women’s university.
In an attempt to woo her, Hilarion, and his friends, Cyril and Florian, are forced to dress up as maidens in order to infiltrate the castle. Once the ‘maidens’ are in, various girls attending the college discover the ‘maidens’ secret. These girls attempt to keep their knowledge secret, but eventually, Princess Ida discovers the intruders to be no more than men in women’s clothes, and condemns them to a dungeon cell to await their fate.
Hildebrand invades the castle with his army and threatens war on the women. After it looks like violence is sure to erupt, Ida finally relinquishes and agrees to marry Hilarion.
Directed by Sue Tilling and Jeremy Page
Musical Direction by Michael Newton
CAST
| King Hildebrand | Ray Vamplew |
| Hilarion | Richard Ritchie |
| Cyril | Roger Woodward |
| Florian | Jeremy Page |
| King Gama | Laurence Cuckney |
| Arac | Laurence Reed |
| Guron | Neil Catton |
| Scynthius | Iain Saville |
| Princess Ida | Fiametta Ryan |
| Lady Blanche | Barbara O’Neill |
| Lady Psyche | Jayne Wilcox |
| Melissa | Joanne Merry |
| Sacharissa | Tracey Wherly |
| Chloe | Doreen Legg |
| Ada | Cheryl Showan |
| Soldiers, Courtiers “Girl Graduates”, “Daughters of the Plough”Clare Abley, Rachel Bostock, Carol Blades, Amanda Collin, Sara-Jane Grinter, Margaret Etches, Barbara Fleming, Clare Hargadon, D’reen Legg, Debbie Merry, Jill Nuthall, Cheryl Showan, Annie Harvey-Smith, Marion Stewart, Penny Stone, Sue Talbert, Margaret Thomson, Tracey Wherly, Marion Wilson, Peter Bagwell, Brian Card, Percy Morgan, Richard Plumridge, Ian Scobbie, John Talbert, Christopher Toole, Ken Warner |