The review of Iolanthe in The London Figaro said that Barnett, "a fairy queen of Brobdingnagian proportions, who 'nestles in a nutshell and gambols on gossamer,' invested her part with all the broad humour necessary without overdoing it." The Times called her "the unsurpassable Alice Barnett". In 1883, during the run of Iolanthe, she became ill and was replaced by her understudy, Rosina Brandram, as the principal contralto at the Savoy.
Alice Barnett's portrayal of the fairy queen in Iolanthe was highly acclaimed by both The London Figaro and The Times.  Her performance was praised for its humor, broadness, and skillful execution.