On a fine, warm Wednesday evening on 22 June, a group of Blue Apple performers travelled together from Winchester as guests of The Grange Festival to watch a rehearsal performance of their production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Yeoman of the Guard at The Grange, close to Alresford.

Set in the Tower of London, The Yeomen of the Guard is highly regarded as one of the great British operettas. Generally considered Sullivan’s finest, grandest score, the story of a tragic broken love affair is emotionally engaging and also delivers the trademark G&S wit and satire.

This enriching experience was provided to Blue Apple performers as part of The Grange Festival’s community engagement programme ‘Learning@TheGrange’ which aims to share their passion for opera and dance, demystify it, and create exciting and stimulating opportunities to engage with the Hampshire public, welcoming them to their magnificent theatre and the beautiful setting of The Grange. Blue Apple performers recently enjoyed an interactive and inspiring workshop from The Grange Festival and this visit to The Grange for a live performance of The Yeoman of the Guard built on that.

Blue Apple’s Engagement Coordinator Rebecca Godden said “This was a really enjoyable trip to a stunning venue. It was the first time any of the group had been to an operetta. There was beautiful singing and storytelling and our performers loved it!”

Below are some photos from the evening showing Blue Apple performers Tommy Jessop, James Benfield, James Elsworthy, Anna Brisbane and Ros Davies enjoying themselves at The Grange.