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 Martins
Bank Operatic Society in: Patience by Gilbert & Sullivan
Staged:
26-30 March 1963 at the Crane Theatre Liverpool
 1963 sees the involvement of Geoffrey Kelly with the
production side of Martins Bank Operatic Society’s performances. Geoff was keen from the start to continue
the use of professional musicians, and other performers from outside sources,
in order to maintain the high standards hitherto achieved by the Society. He recalls: “The Chief General Manager, Dennis Maxwell, was a keen supporter of
MBOS but he still had to be convinced that we needed to look outside the bank
for talent, especially for some of the leading roles. I argued that to get
enough public support to fill the theatre for a week we needed to stage shows
of at least the same quality as our competitors, the Bentley Operatic Society
and the Crosby Operatic Society. We could not achieve that by using only bank
staff. I added that MBOS had always used a largely professional orchestra.
The fact that we won the Leonard Osborn Trophy on several occasions while we
were still presenting G&S operas points to the standard we achieved. It
did not go unnoticed by the senior management.” From this point on, it was not just the senior management of Martins
Bank that noticed the runaway success of the Operatic Society. The local press was also enthralled by the
sheer professionalism with which performaces were staged. From the Archive,
we have the following cutting from the Liverpool Echo, 29 March 1963:
 Freshness and
enthusiasm are both evident in Martins Bank Operatic Society’s production
this week of “Patience” at the Crane Theatre. Not only the singing but the
acting of the principals has a professional polish in a beautifully,
formalised production, by May Collins. Acting, even if mainly “ham” is called
for, is important in this delightful satire on the affected aestheticism of
the day which at times in the opera becomes topical to a “beat” generation.
The two poets Reginald Bunthorne (Barrie Stevenson) and Archibald Grosvenor
(Kenneth Jones) reading their banal ditties to enraptured Victorian ladies
would to-day perhaps be declaiming free verse to a jazz background. This is
Gilbert’s opera and the words so penetratingly comic came over clearly all the
time, whether spoken or sung. Leading the chorus of “Rapturous Maidens”
hanging on every word from the poets' lips and despising everything
contemporary and commonplace. Lady Anglea (Jill Kelly) and Lady Saphir (Nancy
Klass) temper their foolishness with Victorian seriousness. Phyllis M.
Ritchie provides exuberant comedy as the Lady Jane, the inevitable matron of
Gilbert and Sullivan. The company is obviously not short of accomplished
women members — another confident performance comes from Mary Nelson as
Patience, the dairymaid who, believing love is a duty and should be purely
unselfish, promises herself to the unattractive Bunthorne. The “norm” in this
world of sensibility is set by the roistering Dragoons led by the Colonel
‘Bill Morris), the Major ‘Frank Cohen) and the Lieutenant The Duke ‘William
Lawler) A spirited and strong-voiced chorus of Dragoon Guards is perfectly
balanced against the 20 lovesick maidens In some of Sullivan’s most skilful
chorus writing. A company which can so easily cope with Gilbert and
Sullivan’s brilliant parodies on grand opera, especially since it is styled
an operatic society, might well consider venturing into the field of opera
proper or at least occasionally varying Its fare with Continental operetta.
The production has its last performance tomorrow night.
Image and Text ©
Liverpool Echo 1963 – Martins Bank Archive Collections
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 Long
experience has taught us the danger of the use of superlatives and when one
is tempted to say that a production was the best so far staged one has to
remember that the comment will lose force if made subsequently.
Nevertheless, the Society’s production of Patience at Crane Theatre,
Liverpool, for five nights, March 26th to 30th, was outstanding in several
ways. From our point of view the fact that it was such a happy production
was as important as its standard of artistry. The team spirit throughout
was excellent and this was undoubtedly due in large measure to the
influence of the Musical Director, Geoffrey Kelly, the producer, May
Collins, and the Chairman of the Society, Bill Morris.
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General Scene from the production
reproduced in Martins Bank’s 400th Anniversary Commemorative Booklet “At
the Sign of the Grasshopper” 1963
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Regarding the performance as a whole, it must he said without
any reflection whatsoever on the musical side that the standard of actual
acting was generally much higher than in some previous productions. Good
individual portrayals we have had in past years, but this year almost all
the principals were outstanding histrionically. Three of the eleven were
members of other societies, as also were some of the members of the chorus.
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General Scene from the production
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Without their help we would not have been able to stage the
show and we would like to place on record our gratitude to them for the
wonderful way in which they helped us. The three officers of the Dragoon
Guards were played by Bill Morris. Frank Cohen and William Lawler. Their
performance was virile, tuneful and altogether excellent. Frank Cohen was a
‘guest’ artist. The parts of the poets were played by Barrie Stevenson
(Bunthorne) and Kenneth Jones (Grosvenor). Both portrayals were
outstandingly good. John W. Crowther gave a sound presentation of Mr.
Bunthorne's solicitor.
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Left to right: Jill Kelly, Lynn
Griffiths, Barrie Stevenson and Nancy Klass.
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The poet Grosvenor (Kenneth Jones)
recites to the maidens
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The rapturous maidens were played by Jill Kelly, guest artist
Nancy Klass, Lynn Griffiths and Phyllis Ritchie. Jill is an experienced singer
of Gilbert and Sullivan songs and gave the charming performance we have
come to expect of her. Nancy and Lynn ably supported her and their
rendering of the various songs was as happy as it was tuneful. We have not
been backward in past years in praising the various portrayals of Gilbert's
unwanted females, but Phyllis Ritchie really reached the peak of her
artistry this time. Her gymnastic feat in catching the flying Bunthorne in
her arms and carrying him off the stage at the end of one of her encores
brought a roar of applause at each performance and was the spectacular
culmination each night of a memorable presentation.
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Phyllis Ritchie as Lady Jane
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Frank Cohen, William Lawler and Bill
Morris
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Kenneth Jones and Mary Nelson
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Patience was played by Mary Nelson, one of our most
experienced singers and an established favourite with us all. The quality of
her soprano voice seems to improve each year. Her earlier performances were
outstanding for the sweetness of her singing: nowadays power has been added
with the result that both words and song come across the footlights
effortlessly. And what shall we say of the choruses? The male chorus was
powerful and energetic. Could it be that they had learned a trick or two of
presentation from the Red Army Ensemble, so recently heard in the city?
Probably not, but the virility was undoubtedly there, and also the enthusiasm.
Of the ladies it must be said that there were weaknesses, both in singing
and in acting. There was a little woodenness here and there and, now and
again, the unforgivable sin of one or two not singing. The chorus was,
nevertheless, adequate. May Collins, who produced the opera for us, has
been our producer for some time now and deserves our warmest thanks for the
patience, enthusiasm and sheer staying power which she devotes to our
service each year. Miss C. E. Taggart was the sole representative of the
Society in the orchestra, playing one of the five violins. Once again,
thanks are recorded to the backroom boys and girls who gave their services
so willingly behind the stage or in promotional duties connected with the
show. Without them the job of staging such a production would be
impossible.
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