I saw the ENO's version of Iolanthe last month. It did not make a very deep impression on me but I admit it was jolly good fun! The behaviour of the fairies however, I would not tolerate from D'Oyly Carte. In the opening chorus they were stomping about on stage like a rugby scrum, and then in the first act finale, they were thrashing the living daylights out of the Peers! Although Ian Caddy (Mountararat) had a promising speaking voice, his singing voice sounded old, as did the tenor, Terry Jenkins. All the female singers were good with remarkable clarity of diction, but at times Anne Collins (F. Queen) was inaudible in her dialogue. Eric Shilling (Chancellor) was tolerable although he is not a natural comedian as is John Reed. I doubt if he could adlib or introduce business (which is probably the reason why only one encore was allowed). Alan Opie (Strephon) was very good, with a clear bassbaritone voice. John Tomlinson (Willis) was in my opinion the best singer although owing to ENO's producer he took liberties with the music (i.e. he sang his solo in exactly the same manner as Donald Adams on the 1963 Readers Digest record). In the friendship quartet, there was at least a gap of 20 seconds before he continued with his cadenza. I found the urchin hanging round Willis at the start of Act 2 rather like something from Oliver. Why did the Queen have to swing in a decorated windowcleaners cradle in the Grand Finale? Hazel Vivian's tempi I found rather slow. The overture was very boring. STEPHEN THOROUGHGOOD.

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