Patience may be one of Gilbert & Sullivan’s lesserknown comic operas, but it has a claim to world-wide fame.Back in 1881 it became the first-ever stage performance to be illuminated throughout by electric light - at the newly-built Savoy Theatre in London.

The audience on this historic opening night were astounded as impresario Richard D’Oyly Carte demonstrated the safety of the incandescent electric lamps by smashing a lighted lamp bulb into a piece of muslin, extinguishing the light but causing no damage.

No doubt the audience at Huddersfield Gilbert & Sullivan Society’s forthcoming production of ‘Patience’ will be less impressed by the electric lighting but, hopefully, will still enjoy an evening of musical comedy.

It will be the fifth time in the company’s 51-year history that its members have performed the satirical work, which Gilbert wrote to poke fun at the contemporary art of the Pre-Raphaelites and the cult of long-haired, flamboyantly- dressed poets and writers such as Oscar Wilde and Swinburne.

Society secretary Elaine Merlin says a primary reason for choosing ‘Patience’ for this year’s costumed performance was that it is one of the more easily-produced operettas.

We do try to do them in rotation, “ she explained, “but we just don’t have the resources any more - the costumes and stage scenery - for some of the bigger productions. This is one of the less well known, but it has an interesting history.”

A cast of both long-serving and new members will take the audience through the comedy and Sullivan’s melodies (he completed the score only three days before the opening night).

Bruce Merlin will take the leading role of Colonel Calverley, with newcomer Jonathan Spry as Major Murgatroyd.

The principals’ line-up also includes two more new members, Leon Waksberg and Sally Mitchell, alongside seasoned performers such as Paul Richmond, Ian Grange, Celia Poole, Becky Gregson-Flynn, Ann Likeman and Elaine Richmond.

It is Graham Weston’s ninth production as artistic director while Colin Akers is new to the role of musical director.

Tickets for the show, from May 14 to 17 at the Lawrence Batley Theatre, are available from 01484 430528 or www. thelbt.org

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