Gilbert & Sullivan’s masterpiece coming to Seckford Theatre

The Ipswich Gilbert & Sullivan Society will be at Seckford Theatre in Woodbridge later this month, as their talented cast of local performers present ‘The Yeoman of the Guard’.

This is Gilbert & Sullivan’s most dramatic and emotional opera, complete with mistaken identity, forbidden romance, a prison break, a jester in love…and one of the most unexpected endings in all of musical theatre!

Full of laughter one moment and heartbreak the next, this production will feature a full chorus and 13-piece orchestra, along with the sparkling wit of W.S Gilbert, and Arthur Sullivan's glorious score.

The story is as follows…

In 16th Century England, Phoebe, the daughter of Sergeant Meryll of the Tower of London Warders, is pining for the love of a celebrity prisoner - the dashing Colonel Fairfax. But Fairfax has been falsely accused of sorcery and is due to be executed, and Phoebe is being ardently pursued by the Tower’s Assistant Tormentor, the unprepossessing Wilfred Shadbolt.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Meryll is desperately trying to avoid the unwanted attentions of Dame Carruthers, the Tower’s housekeeper.

On the day of Fairfax's appointed execution, strolling players Jack Point (a jester) and Elsie Maynard (a street singer) arrive at the Tower. Jack, Elsie, Phoebe and Wilfred are all soon drawn into a series of plots involving the condemned Fairfax.

There follows a tangled tale of intrigue, deception and unrequited love, played out beneath the forbidding stone walls of the famous prison fortress.

The story will end with happiness for some, but for one in particular, a broken heart.

The Yeomen of the Guard was written at the height of the pair's fame and is widely regarded as Gilbert and Sullivan's masterpiece.

“As I set about directing it, it soon became clear to me that The Yeomen of the Guard is,
in almost all respects, on an entirely different level to the G&S operas that had gone
before. In place of the figures of fun that populate the earlier operas, Gilbert has
created sympathetic, three-dimensional characters encountering genuine human
issues, and Sullivan has composed a score that has depth, complexity and a
dramatic richness. It is no surprise that many if not most G&S aficionados regard Yeomen as the pair’s masterpiece,” says James Hayward, Show Director

Nearly a century of performing

The Ipswich Gilbert & Sullivan Society first performed The Yeomen of the Guard in 1932, so it is the perfect show to celebrate more than 95 years of enchanting performances and musical camaraderie.

With a mix of experienced and budding performers, the group’s inclusive community welcomes adults of all levels of experience. With rehearsals weekly throughout the year, it has a calendar of annual events, including a fully staged Gilbert and Sullivan operetta each autumn.

Step into the shadows of the Tower of London for this year’s offering.

The Yeoman of the Guard is at Seckford Theatre, Woodbridge from 29 October to 1 November 2025.

FOR SHOW DETAILS AND BOOKING LINK, CLICK HERE