RELATIVE POPULARITY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22256, 2 November 1935, Page 12 (Supplement)

RELATIVE POPULARITY

GILBERT AND SULLIVAN

Voting in the plebiscite on the relative popularity of the Savoy operas held in Sydney recently shows that the choice is " The Yeomen of the Guard." Voters were asked to choose six of the Gilbert and Sullivan pieces for a special two-weeks' season at the conclusion of the present season at the Theatre Royal. The six most favoured were, in order: —" The Yeomen of the Guard," "The Mikado," "The Gondoliers," " Patience," " The Pirates of Penzance," "lolanthe." "H.M.S. Pinafore" scored seventh place, and next in order were "Ruddigore" and "Princess Ida" (equal), "Trial by Jury," "Utopia Ltd.," "The Sorcerer," "Tho Grand Duke."

In Melbourne a similar plebiscite gave almost the same result. There the order of preference of tho chosen six was:—" The Yeomen of tho Guard," "Tho Mikado," "The Gondoliers," " lolanthe," " Patience," " Ruddigore." Seventh place was given to " The Pirates of Penzance," and eighth to " H.M.S. Pinafore."

In earlier years " The Yeomen " did not. attract our audiences nearly so readily as " The Mikado " or " The Gondoliers." The present company found that in Adelaide, where three of the operas were played, " The Yeomen " had larger audiences than either " The Gondoliers " or " The Pirates of Penzance."