Sir, Michael Freedland is quite right about the need to restore variety to the London Palladium (Thunderer, June 21). There is also another art form that needs to come in from the cold — a professional touring company for the Savoy operas of Gilbert and Sullivan.
The original D’Oyly Carte Opera Company became defunct in 1982, leaving G&S largely to amateurs and an occasional single production by a new company often directed by haters of the genre.
What we also need is recognition of the top performers from that great touring enterprise, which took a repertoire across Great Britain and into London for a long Christmas run, 48 weeks of the year, year in and year out. There is variety in Gilbert and Sullivan, including lyrical arias, love songs, patter numbers and an operatic finish to Act One in every case, from The Sorcerer to The Grand Duke. A new company for London and the road would show to the world the value of our island culture.
James Lewis
Wembley, Middx