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Trial by Jury
This one act comic opera satirises the law and the legal profession with a typically ludicrous plot.
The court is to try a breach of promise suit against Edwin, who has failed to marry Angelina, having run off with another woman and claiming boredom as a motive. Additional irony is added by the Judge’s confession that he has, in the past, behaved in much the same way as the defendant.
Claiming damages should be low, due to his dissolute character, Edwin offers to marry both women as a solution.
This is decided to be a good solution, but in breach of the law. The case is decided satisfactorily when the judge offers to marry Angelina instead.
HMS Pinafore (or The Lass that Loved a Sailor)
A typical G&S satire of class, status and confusion – with a bit of a dig at the pretensions of the Navy and Patriotism, and a typically remiss nursemaid.
Buttercup, selling trifles and treats to the sailors on board HMS Pinafore, loves the Captain, but she is too lowly for him to marry (despite her obvious assets!). The Captain’s Daughter, Josephine loves a common sailor, Ralph, but is expected to marry the Admiral, Sir Joseph.
Ralph and Josephine decide to elope, spurred on by the Admiral’s attempts to speed Josephine’s agreement to marry him by declaring that love levels all ranks, having been told Josephine was in awe of his status and therefore delaying the union.
Betrayed by the un-liked, but realistic, Dick Deadeye, everything works out conveniently when Buttercup reveals that as a nursemaid she had mixed up two babies, now the Captain and Ralph.
This means that Ralph should be captain, so can marry Josephine – despite Sir Joseph’s declaration she is now too lowly a rank for him. The Captain is now a common sailor and can marry Buttercup, leaving Sir Joseph with a convenient cousin, Hebe.
The Pirates of Penzance (or The Slave of Duty)
The real story of the ever-popular Pirates is in the sub-title.
With another G&S nursemaid mix up, Frederick is apprenticed to a pirate instead of a pilot, and being a ‘slave of duty’ is caught between loyalty to his indentures and the his desire to be honest and law abiding. This is further complicated when, thinking his apprenticeship is over, he is told that he was born on February 29th and must stay as a pirate until his 21st birthday – another 63 years.
He has, prior to this revelation (initiated by Ruth, the nursemaid, who has joined the pirates with him rather than admit her error, and hoped to deceive him into thinking she was herself a good match for him) fallen in love with one of the Major General’s (many) daughters, Mabel.
The Major General escapes the pirates’ clutches by dishonestly declaring himself an orphan – they have a soft spot for orphans, being orphans themselves. The pirates learn of this from Frederick, who finding he is still apprenticed to them is duty bound to tell them. They determine on revenge.
The policemen reluctantly prepare to tackle the pirates, who give in when commanded to yield in the name of Queen Victoria – being loyal to their queen as well as kind to orphans.
It is revealed by Ruth the pirates are all noblemen ‘gone wrong’ and therefore essentially good people and are able to be forgiven. Mabel can marry Frederick and the Major’s other daughters can also marry the conveniently noble pirates.
Haddon Hall
Haddon Hall is a light opera and with somewhat less comedy than Gilbert’s collaborations, but it does have its moments - and some lovely music all the same.
A story of love against a background of the civil war, with the king’s supporters and the puritans disagreeing over love and possession of the Hall.
Dorothy Vernon is to marry Rupert, who has allied himself to the parliament and the puritans, and cannot marry the man she loves, the royalist John Manners.
With help from their servants, who also fall in love, and with Lady Vernon’s secret encouragement, Dorothy and manners elope. The Hall is taken into the possession of Rupert and his puritans – including the definitely comic Scottish puritan, The McKrankie, with a fondness for a less than puritan swig of whisky.
It’s down to the restoration of the King to sort things out, leading the chorus of puritans to down books and renounce Puritanism – and McKrankie to give up Puritanism and the kilt - but not the whisky. Manners returns, with Dorothy as his wife and a warrant restoring Haddon Hall to Sir George Vernon - who has also forgiven his wife for encouraging the elopement.
Patience (or Bunthorne’s Bride)
‘Patience’ satirizes the aesthetic movement of the 1870s and 1880s – and in many ways it was an easy target. They believed aesthetic values were more important than any other values, moral or social, in the arts. Not a movement that has much need of satirizing today, but puncturing the pretensions of those who take their ideas too far remains worth doing.
‘Twenty lovesick maidens’ love the poet Bunthorne, who rather fancies the simple milkmaid, Patience – who claims she has never loved anyone. The Dragoons (including the Colonel, the Major and the Duke) turn up and are dismayed to find the ladies, who were once attracted to them, fawning over the soppy poet.
Meanwhile the soppy poet himself confesses he is not really into aestheticism at all – despite this Patience declares that she could not love him. Patience is, however, persuaded by one of Bunthorne’s admirers, Lady Angela, that as the only truly unselfish act Love really is worthwhile, and she agrees to try it at the earliest opportunity.
The earliest opportunity, conveniently, turns up and is Archibald Grosvenor, Archibald the All-right, another aesthetic poet. Their love is declared and immediately cut short when they realise that since Grosvenor is perfect loving him can only be a selfish act – an impossible situation that means they must part.
Rejected, Bunthorne decides to raffle himself off to his admirers. Just when it seems the unappealing Lady Jane may be in with a chance Patience decides to unselfishly love him and the lovesick maidens are forced to return to the original objects of their desire, the Dragoons.
At this point, when all seems resolved, Grosvenor turns up and the ladies immediately defect again, deciding he is more attractive even than Bunthorne – time for a break – end of Act I.
Act II begins with Lady Jane hoping, despite her age, she might still get Bunthorne, and Grosvenor reluctantly entertaining the ladies. The Major, Colonel and Duke hope that by becoming aesthetes themselves they might win the ladies back. Patience admits to Bunthorne that she loves Grosvenor and Bunthorne curses him unless he agrees to become ordinary.
Seeing this as a convenient escape Grosvenor does, but it backfires as the ladies decide to be ordinary too and return to the Dragoons and Patience realises that now he is ordinary she can love Grosvenor unselfishly. The Duke settles on Lady Jane as a bride and Bunthorne is left with nobody.
The Arcadians
Arcadia, the mythical rural idyll peopled with a beautiful population who never lie and never grow old. These people hear strange rumours of a less than happy land called London when James Smith, an ageing adventurer and restaurateur is caused to crash his plane there. The Arcadians are not too pleased with him, particularly when he tries to seduce the lovely Sombre with a lie. They dunk him in the well of truth and he is transformed into Simplicitas, young and beautiful – a state he will keep until he tells a lie. Sent back to London with Sombra and her sister Chrysea their aim is to spread the Arcadian life. They do rather stand out on their first adventure at the races. It doesn’t really go to plan, with a number of romantic complications, including an unrecognised Simplicitas attracting the love of his own wife.
They open a successful Arcadian restaurant together, but the inevitable lie, and dip in the well at his own restaurant, leads to him being restored to his true self. The mission has failed and the Arcadians return home – however happiness remains.
Princess Ida (or Castle Adamant)
Princess Ida , in which the Princess founds a women’s university, satirizes the education of women, feminism and has some fun with Darwin’s ideas on evolution – all very topical at the time.
In three acts, the first sets up the plot at King Hildebrand’s palace. His son, Hilarion, has been betrothed to Princess Ida since she was a baby and she is expected at the palace to complete the agreement. Her father, King Gama arrives with the news she is not coming but has set up a women’s university at Castle Adamant.
Hildebrand is keen on the traditional taking by force, but Hilarion prefers the romantic option and sets of with his companions, Cyril and Florian, with the intention of winning her love. King Gama and his sons remain as hostages.
In Act II the education provided is well satirized, teaching that the sole mistake of nature is man (although whether that is satire may be debateable).
Hilarion and friends sneak in to the castle and disguise themselves as women wishing to join the university. With various confidences and mistakes, and despite Hilarion saving Princess Ida’s life, they are condemned to death by Ida. Hilarion is ready to accept his fate, but Hildebrand arrives reminding her of the contract and threatening the life of her brother.
In Act II Ida prepares her troops for battle but finds them afraid (in true girlie fashion!). The solution ends up as a fight between Hilarion and his friends and Ida’s brothers, with her hand in marriage depending on the victors. Reluctantly Ida agrees to this very non-feminist solution.
Hilarion and friends win and after some obvious arguments Ida declares her love for Hilarion and the flaws in her philosophy.
Ruddigore (or The Witch’s Curse)
The town of Redderring in Cornwall is plagued by a herd of professional bridesmaids, who are unable to marry because all the eligible men are besotted with Rose Maybud. She however, won’t marry, because obsessed with etiquette, none of her suitors can get the approach quite right.
The witch’s curse on the ‘bad baronets’ of Ruddigore declares the baronet must commit a crime each day or be tortured to death by his ghostly ancestors.
Rose’s most likely suitor, Robin, finds, by various twists, including the return of his foster-brother Richard from sea, that he (actually the supposedly dead older brother Ruthven), not Sir Despard, is the rightful and unfortunate baronet.
This leaves Despard free to marry his old love, Mad Margaret, and leaves Rose with Richard instead of Robin (lost yet?).
Robin, now Sir Ruthven, struggles with his new career in crime much to the dismay of his dead ancestors, who give him an idea of what to expect if he doesn’t improve.
How does it end? Needing a serious crime Ruthven tries to abduct Dame Hannah (who is dead ancestor Sir Roderic’s old love) comes up with a get out clause for the curse that not committing a crime is tantamount to suicide, which is therefore a crime and absolves him and the unsuccessful ancestors. This leaves resurrected Sir Roderic with Dame Hannah, Rose dropping Richard for Robin and Richard settling for Zorah, the lead bridesmaid (remember them?).
Iolanthe (or The Peer and the Peri)
This is a about fairies and peers from the House of Lords – satirising the peers rather than the fairies.
Iolanthe is restored from 25 years of banishment from fairyland by popular demand – of the other faries. Her crime – marrying a mortal and having a son, Strephon, now a shepherd. Strephon and Phyllis want to marry, but Phyllis is desired by the peers - all of them, including her guardian the Lord Chancellor.
Iolanthe tries to help, but Phyllis rejects Strephon when he is seen hugging his mother, who, being a fairy, looks only seventeen. The peers offend the Fairy Queen when they mistake the fairies for schoolgirls and she punishes them by making Strephon an MP with powers to pass any bill be chooses.
Strephon is working on a bill to make the peerage competitive by examination. The peers seek the help of the fairies on the grounds that the peerage cannot be improved. In trying to sort things out for Strephon Iolanthe reveals what she is and opens herself to sentence of death. The rest of the fairies fall in love with the peers and are open to the same fate.
Not keen on carnage in fairyland the Queen agrees to change the rules so that fairies must marry mortals. The peers see the writing on the wall if the House is to be open to intelligent people and, sprouting wings, fly off to fairyland.
Text © Brett Butler. This was written for use on this site and by the Great Yarmouth Gilbert & Sullivan Society. If you should wish to use this material please contact us.
Wikipedia is acknowledged for the pictures, which they declare to be in the public domain. Should this not be so please also contact us.
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