Julian Light Opera - G&S in West London

Patience .. Patience!

Welcome to the West London based Julian Light Operatic Society.

Yes. A little self-restraint is required before you can rush to buy tickets for this year's Gilbert and Sullivan Production, Patience.

It's one the duo's best known and popular operettas and the Julian's production opens on the 15th of November at the usual venue, Ealing's Questors Theatre in Mattock Lane. More details to follow.

And if you fancy taking part or working behind the scenes, contact the secretary whose details are at the foot of this page.

In the meantime, we are delighted to report that, for a third year running, a Julian cast member was a winner of a National Operatic and Dramatic Association Award (NODA).

And the Gilbert and Sullivan production involved, the 2016 show Princess Ida, was also a winner.

Appearing for the first time with the Julian, Emily Kirby-Ashmore as the Princess, won the London district award for best female performance and the production was also named best in district.

The wins follow Best Male Performances in London for Guy Withers In Pirates of Penzance in 2015 and Marston York in the 2014 px6roduction of The Mikado.

As a society, we specialise in the works of W.S. and Sir Arthur and the next show will be Patience at the Questors Theatre in Ealing, opening on November 15 2017. If you would like to be in it or he;p behind the scenes, please contact our secretary, whose details are at the foot of this page.

Princess Ida, in November 2016, is our most recent show.

Gilbert and Sullivan's only three act comic operetta, first performed in 1884, deals with feminism, women's education and Darwinian evolution.

They are, perhaps, subjects not often associated with a light-hearted night out at the theatre.

But, this of course is G&S. So the show was very funny, the music was wonderful and there were the usual high jinx around love and romance.

Plus, as always, director Fraser Grant came up with plenty of surprises.

Princess Ida revolves around a group of men dressed as women trying to break into a women's university, housed in a castle, and was somewhat controversial in the late 1880s.

After the 2015 visit to Cornwall for the Pirates of Penzance, one of G&S's most popular offerings, we had decided it was time to present one of the least well known and performed operettas. And that is how it came to be Princess Ida.

Audience members said afterwards that they appreciated the chance to see a show of which a number had been previously unaware.

"We came last year for Pirates and didn't know what to expect," said one group. "It was different and very good indeed".

In Princess Ida two of the main principals, including the Princess herself, were newcomers to the company and the Julian is always on the lookout for talent for main parts and the chorus.

Emily Kirby-Ashmore, as Princess Ida, (top) who won a NODA London District Award for best female performance in G&S for 2016. The production a whole was also a district winner. And beneath that, all eyes ahead to catch a glimpse of the Princess.

Everyone is all ears to hear King Gama (Edwin Owen) complain that he has "nothing at all to grumble at".

The Julian is essentially a Gilbert and Sullivan group. We aim to give the local community in and around Ealing an opportunity to experience light opera to as high a standard as possible at a lower cost than the professional theatre.

We try to cast principal parts from within our own membership but is open to all who wish to join us to come along and to give encouragement to beginners of all ages. We have a great team spirit and some people have been singing and acting with us since the 1960s.

The support and enthusiasm of its many members over the years epitomises what the Julian is all about – doing something that is enjoyable as a relaxation, to a standard that others will appreciate. The Julian meets for rehearsals every Wednesday evening at Ealing Town Hall.

Our main production is usually in the autumn and a soirée or variety concert is normally each Spring.

The Company is self-financing through members' subscriptions and fund-raising.

If you would like to offer financial assistance either by becoming a patron or through official sponsorship please contact the Secretary (details below). New members are always welcome, either in performing or supporting roles. Contact the Secretary (again, details below) or click here. And if you would like to be added to the society's mailing list click here.

More scenes from Princess Ida. Hilarion (left - former NODA award winner Guy Withers) - decides the only way to get into the women's university in Castle Adamant is to dress as a woman. Arac (newcomer Ian Henderson) and his brother (Murray Langton) are in jail as hostages [centre] and provided light hearted improvisation during scene changes. Melissa (Sunita Dugal) discovered [left], on meeting interloper Florian (Phil Lewis), that men are just as lovely as women but in a different way.

Click here to email JLOS

Or speak to the Secretary Debbie Edwards on 0844 880 1852 (Calls will cost 7p per minute plus your telephone company's access charge. Emails, are of course free).

Light Opera Society. Registered Charity No. 1103764

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