The Yeomen of the Guard

'A good all round show.'

Musicals are to a good play what golf is to a good walk. Or perhaps that is being unkind to golf. But at least the G&S affairs have a few laughs. Yeomen is one of the less comedic - more of a Shakespearian tragedy - but still a decent romp with twists and turns a plenty.

Set around the Tower of London in Tudor England, the action, punctuated by a series of toe-tappers, excellently performed by the highly regarded New Rosemere company, centres on the fortunes, or lack thereof, of four chaps and three chapesses, each looking for a mate, all against the unlikely backdrop of one facing the death penalty for alchemy.

Sounds like a plot from EastEnders, doesn't it? Anyway, as we all know, four into three doesn't go, and at least one is left unhappy by the end, with at least two others destined for unhappy marriages.

The one chap left heartbroken at the end - I won't say who - has a lucky escape if you ask me. Waste of time, marriage. Less time to play golf and go to musicals.

It was a faithful enough reproduction, albeit with a couple of nice new gags bringing it up to date. The Deal or No Deal reference went down well, but a sly dig at Peter Kay by the jester fell on flat ears.

David Seager was excellent as Sir Richard Cholmondley and Danny Shaw put in a neat turn as Colonel Fairfax. Standouts were Bob Wardle as the jester Jack Point and the rather foxy Eleanor Molloy as Elsie Maynard. Hannah Carolan and Ken Rees were superb as unlucky-in-love Phoebe Meryll and her father Sgt Meryll. While Liz Tatlock, who tormented the sergeant throughout, and head jailor Ken Brook, also provided a good few laughs.

A good all round show.

Stephen Thompson