Haddon Hall, National G&S Opera Company - 2018 DVD

A highlight of the 2018 Festival was the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company’s production of Haddon Hall, the dramatisation of a legend based on Haddon Hall, a stately home in Bakewell, Derbyshire. This was the first professional production since its debut in 1892. This light opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by Sydney Grundy featured many of Britain’s leading G&S actors.

It is 1660, just before the Restoration of the Monarchy. Sir George Vernon, a Royalist, is in a property dispute with his cousin, Rupert Vernon, a Roundhead supporter of Parliament. Sir George fears that this dispute will be resolved in favour of his cousin, who has strong ties to the current government, and that his family will lose Haddon Hall. To secure the estate's long-term future, Sir George has arranged the marriage between Rupert and his only surviving child, Dorothy Vernon. But Dorothy is in love with John Manners, the impoverished second son of the Earl of Rutland. Manners, who is also a Royalist is of no use to Sir George, and he has forbidden their union. Torn by her love for her father and her love for John Manners, Dorothy fled Haddon Hall and eloped with Manners. The couple were eventually reconciled with Sir George, and they inherited the estate on his death. Haddon Hall remains in the Manners family to the present day.

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ 

JOHN MANNERS (A Cavalier, in love with Dorothy) // NICHOLAS SALES
OSWALD (His Manservant) // DAVID MENEZES
SIR GEORGE VERNON (of Haddon Hall) // DONALD MAXWELL
RUPERT VERNON (A Puritan and suitor for hand of Dorothy) // RICHARD SUART
THE McCRANKIE (From the Isle of Rum and One of the Elect) // BRUCE GRAHAM
SING-SONG SIMEON (A Puritan) // BOBBIE GREATOREX
NICODEMUS KNOCK-KNEE (A Puritan) // MIKE NASH
BARNABAS BELLOWS-TO-MEND (A Puritan) // MAX TAYLOR
KILL-JOY CANDLEMAS // MARTIN CASSELL
MAJOR DOMO // JOHN CARTER
DOROTHY VERNON (Sir George’s daughter) // RACHEL HARLAND
LADY VERNON (Her Mother) // KATHERINE MARRIOTT
DORCAS (Her Maidservant) //  BEE BRADLEY
NANCE (Maidservant) // JOANNE ROBINSON
GERTRUDE (Maidservant) // VALERIE GREEN
DEBORAH (Maidservant) // ALEXANDRA MATHER

The Chorus

Chorus of the Household

Jenny Bland, Elise Fairley*, Honor Grantham, Annie George*, Valerie Green, Jackie Harmer, Karen Ann Loxley, Jo Murray, Julie-Ann Lomas, Alexandra Mather, Joanne Robinson, Gill Rugg, Yvonne Smith, Susan Smethurst, Ioana Tenner, Susan Wilkinson, Katie Wood

John Carter, Martin Cassell, Jack Dolan*, Graham Eagland, Bobbie Greatorex, James Gribble*, Roderick Murray, Michael Nash, Max Taylor,

*Chorus mentors by kind permission of Birmingham Conservatoire

Production Team

DIRECTOR // Sarah Helsby Hughes
CONDUCTOR // Andrew Nicklin
Choreographer // Jackie O’Brien
Lighting Design // David Marsden
Stage Manager // Keith Drage
Repetiteur // Christopher Flint
Wardrobe Supervisor // Harriet Ravdin
Assistant Wardrobe // Susan Smethurst

Film © Musical Collectables & All Media Works 2020

Photographs by Jane Stokes | DJ Stotty Images