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Gilbert
and Sullivan:
The Very Models
In Gilbert and Sullivan --
The Very Models, as D'Oyly Carte lies half-asleep, half-awake, Gilbert
and Sullivan appear out of the shadows. Around D'Oyly Carte's bed, they
start to act out their life together. D'Oyly Carte brings the men together
to write a new comic opera. Neither Gilbert nor Sullivan has much enthusiasm,
but with D'Oyly Carte promising much wealth, and their own theatre, The
Savoy, they agree. After HMS Pinafore, their fourth success, they have
found their style -- a perfect marriage of witty dialogue and infectious
music. With The Mikado comes their masterpiece. Sadly, the relationship
between the three men is very strained. Sullivan feels he is wasting his
talents on comic operas about fairies and the like. Gilbert does not enjoy
the collaboration, but is content with the wealth it brings him. D'Oyly
Carte has his work cut out trying to keep the peace between the two lively
and volatile personalities. When Queen Victoria knights Sullivan, Gilbert
becomes deeply jealous, and feels his work is not appreciated. The two
men can barely be civil to each other, and both spend more time arguing
than writing new operas. Finally, D'Oyly Carte has had enough of their
bickering and threatens to walk out. Realizing what they stand to lose,
this brings Gilbert and Sullivan to their senses. They agree to write
a new opera, a serious one to please Sullivan. Just as The Yeoman of the
Guard is going well, Sullivan collapses from a heart attack. This illness
leads to some sort of forgiveness and respect between the three men. They
acknowledge some pride in the 14 operas they wrote over their 25 years
together. As Gilbert and Sullivan fade into the darkness, D'Oyly Carte
wonders whether their work will be remembered.
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Through
Channel 4 I've been privileged enough to use animation to convey
hopefully, with fresh eyes, some of the passion I have long had
for Shakespeare, kabuki, Greek tragedy, and, recently, Gilbert and
Sullivan. To work with such source material, and with artists involved
in these areas, has been a very real and rewarding pleasure.
--
Barry Purves
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 Written
(with Wyn Davies from the works of Gilbert , Sullivan
and D'Oyly Carte) directed and animated by Barry J.C. Purves.
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Running Time:
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16 minutes
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Production:
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Bare Boards
Productions for Channel Four.
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