Members of a Kington theatre group are donning their fairy dresses and peer’s robes as they get ready to perform Iolanthe

The Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera is always a popular favourite with witty writing and powerful and beautiful music.

It is 10 years since the Kington and District Operatic Society last performed it and they are looking forward thrilling the audience with it again

It will be at Lady Hawkins Community Leisure Centre on Thursday, October 30 and Friday, October 31 at 7.30pm and on Saturday, November 1 at 2.30pm.

In the opera, the fairy Iolanthe has been banished from fairyland because she married a mortal; this is forbidden by fairy law.

Her son, Strephon, is an Arcadian shepherd who wants to marry Phyllis, a Ward of Chancery. All the members of the House of Peers also want to marry Phyllis. 

When Phyllis sees Strephon hugging a young woman, not knowing that it is his mother – immortal fairies all appear young, she assumes the worst and sets off a climactic confrontation between the peers and the fairies. 

The opera satirises many aspects of British government, law and society. The confrontation between the fairies and the peers is a version of one of Gilbert's favourite themes: a tranquil civilisation of women is disrupted by a male-dominated world through the discovery of mortal love.

The Lord Chancellor will be played by Steve Hollinghurst, Jim Smith is the Earl of Mountararat, while John Beesley is Earl Tolloller, Mark Beaton plays Private Willis, Russell Painter plays Strephon, Queen of the Fairies is Rebecca Darch, Iolanthe is played by Dilys Hollinghurst, Abigail Hollinghurst plays Celia, Trish Petterson plays Leila, Midge Ault plays Fleta and Phyllis is played by Jess Squire.

The Chorus of Fairies includes Pam Arnold, Kit Beaton, Pauline Bowles, Penny Cole, Violet Darch, Dilys Hollinghurst, Rachelle King, Maggie Maynard, Tanya Parkes while the Chorus of Peers includes Jon Artus, Mark Beaton, David Francis, Tim Hollinghurst, David Parkes, and Hiram Squire.

Lynne Owens is the producer and director, Lorna Firth is the conductor and music director and Kath Ainsworth is the accompanist.

Stage Manager is Linda Ellams and she also looks after set design and construction with David Parkes, Jon Artus and Donald Smith deal with lighting, Beresford Vaughan is the stage assistant, Rachelle King and The Costume Shop LTD look after the costumes.

Elsa Francis and Janet Francis do the make-up, Daisy Cowan, David Francis, Maggie Maynard and Lynne Owens do the publicity and front of house includes Pam Banks, Frank Banks, Margaret Bowdler, Ann Dean, Howard Dean, Beverley Fensom Marion Gilling, Gill Kantollina, Risto Kantollina, Pat Roberts and Jackie Turner.

Tickets for the show are £12 for adults and £6 for under 18’s and they are available from the Burton Hotel in Kington or via ticketsource.co.uk/kados.