Gilbert in 1871

Sullivan about 1871

      Young as they were in 1871-Gilbert in his thirty-fifth year, and Sullivan only in his twenty-ninth — the author and composer were even at this period quite well known men in their respective spheres. Gilbert had seen successfully produced a large number of his dramatic compositions, including The Palace of Truth and Pygmalion and Galatea, by the latter of which he was said later to have made forty thousand pounds, and was also known as the author of the “Bab Ballads,” while Sullivan’s compositions, notably The Prodigal Son, the music for The Tempest and two operettas, Cox and Box and Contrabandista, had already made his name familiar throughout the musical world.

      Introduced to each other as they watched a rehearsal at the Gallery of Illustration, Gilbert took the opportunity to test out some lines he had written for a character who was supposed to have a technical knowledge of music. Sullivan could not make head or tail of the passage and was less than impressed with its author.

Cartoon of John Hollingshead

      Nevertheless, when approached later by producer John Hollingshead seeking a composer for a Christmas burlesque written by Gilbert, Sullivan agreed to write the score. Londoners in those days were fond of “operatic extravaganzas” that traditionally were presented during the Christmas holidays and continued for several weeks thereafter.

Gaiety Theater

      Under considerable time pressure, the show was put together in less than three weeks. After only a week’s rehearsal, Thespis, or The Gods Grown Old, was opened at the Gaiety Theater on December 26, ran for 63 performances and then, despite fair reviews, disappeared from the theatrical scene. The two authors did not work together again until three years later when impresario D’Oyly Carte brought them together for Trial by Jury.

Original Program

      Quite different in nature from their more serious later works, Thespis did include an expanded role for the chorus, which up to then had just been considered not much more than part of the stage setting. Except for one ballad, “Little Maid of Arcadee”, its music was never published, and the orchestra scores were presumably lost during a fire at a publishing house. Sullivan jested that “the music was not lost, merely reused in other shows”, and indeed at least one chorus, “Climbing Over Rocky Mountain”, was prominently featured in their later hit, The Pirates of Penzance.

      The show was not revived in the author’s lifetime, but a revived interest in the twentieth century led to several reconstructions of the score between 1953 and 2002. Impressed by the Connecticut Gilbert and Sullivan Society’s performance of The Golden Legend , G&S expert Jonathan Strong asked them to consider performing his edition of Thespis.

Cast from the CGSS 1989 Thespis performing “Diddlesex Junction”

      CG&SS Music Director John Dreslin took on the enormous task of putting together a musical score in Sullivan’s style and writing an overture. Directed by Bob Cumming, the revival was staged in Hartford’s Wallace Stevens Theatre on October 20 and 21, 1989, with two additional performances the next week in Higganum, CT, where a video record was made of this historic event. Clips from that video can be seen on our Thespis gallery page.

Program and Cast list for CG&SS production of “Thespis”, 1989.
(Click on graphic to enlarge)