Revised: April 25, 2002.
| The fairies who inhabit Arcady, a rustic
Utopia, are bored. As the scene opens, they long for
their sister Iolanthe, whose death sentence for marrying
a mortal was commuted by the Fairy Queen to life
banishment, on condition that she never again see her
husband. The Queen relents and Iolanthe rises from the
stream where she has lived for 25 years in order to be
near Strephon, her son. Despite not having the Lord Chancellor's required consent, he intends to marry Phyllis, a ward in Chancery who knows nothing of his fairyhood. The Fairy Queen offers to use her influence to help Strephon become a Member of Parliament. Phyllis arrives and the scene ends as the two lovers sing of their love for each other. When the stage empties, the Peers enter in pomp, followed by the "highly susceptible" Lord Chancellor, who is to approve Phyllis' choice of Peer for husband. While they tout their respective virtues to her, she spurns them and rushes into Strephon's arms, prompting the Peers to leave indignantly. When the Lord Chancellor refuses Strephon's petition, Iolanthe enters to promise to enlist the help of the Queen of the Fairies. The act's finale begins with Phyllis misinterpreting Strephon's tete-â-tete with Iolanthe, renouncing him while the male entourage derides him for claiming such a young-looking lady as his mother. Distraught, Strephon appeals to the fairies, who trip onto the scene with their Queen. She, attempting to convince the Peers of her authority, vows to use her powers to subjugate Parliament through Strephon, and the act ends in a defiant tableau. In Act II, we come upon Private Willis alone on
sentry-go, pondering the state of Parliament. Enter the
fairies and Peers, respectively praising and denouncing
the effect Strephon has had on parliamentary proceedings,
but, as time passes, revealing some mutual attraction.
When the Peers leave in a fit of pique, the fairies
linger as the Queen sorrowfully reveals her admiration
for Private Willis. |