Set in the Tower of London, Gilbert and Sullivan’s 14th collaboration is their most emotionally engaging, tragedy and despair mixing with trademark wit and satire. Generally considered Sullivan’s finest, grandest score, it tells of a broken love affair between a Merryman (the jester Jack Point) and his Maid (strolling singer Elsie Maynard) whose affections are ruthlessly re-directed elsewhere. Christopher Luscombe (Candide, Falstaff and Pagliacci) directs, John Andrews (Albert Herring and Precipice) conducts, Simon Higlett (Falstaff) designs, and the extensive cast brings together an impressive roster of British vocal talent, including Ellie Laugharne (Susanna and Elisa Doolittle) as Elsie, Nick Pritchard (Henry Crawford in Mansfield Park) as Colonel Fairfax, Graeme Broadbent as Sergeant Meryll, Angela Simkin (Meg Page and Hermia) as Phoebe Meryll and Heather Shipp as the indomitable Dame Carruthers. We place The Yeomen of the Guard high in the pantheon of great British operettas.