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The Worlds of Gilbert and Sullivan

In 1886 a hit to out-hit all hits bounced on to the English stage. Dorothy¹ had come to town! This show opened at the Gaiety Theatre in the Strand, and ran, and ran, and ran, with full audiences for 931 performances - outpacing all the Savoy operas!

The show written by B C Stephenson, with music by Alfred Cellier² was such a success that it seriously worried Sullivan, Gilbert and Carte. Its popularity very nearly finished their career together, but fortunately their perseverance brought them back into the frame with The Yeomen of the Guard.

Dorothy was an old fashioned Comedy Opera of undoubted charm. It had a simple plot about two mischievous Court Gentry lads and a pair of 'country maids' who of course weren't country maids etc, etc, with all sorts of theatrical high jinks! Its characters and human plot could be identified personally by audiences. 

The part of the leading lady was played by a bewitching young actress called Marie Tempest, who of course stole the show. But the musical show-stopper was Sherwood's baritone solo called Queen of My Heart, which brought the house down every night. This was sung by the equally famous young baritone, Hayden Coffin. Between them these two stars persuaded their audiences to come back for more! A decade later they repeated their success in The Geisha. We have included two songs and two dances from Dorothy, the other song being Phyllis's lovely solo, The Time Has Come.

The two dances we have included are the enchanting Graceful Dance, and the more robust Peasants' Dance. We think these epitomise the two distinct cultures which had developed in the British Isles up to and including this period. But, following the Agricultural and Industrial revolutions, and the consequent urban dominance, they were irrevocably merging during Victoria's rein, never to return³. Cor! what a mouthful. Think about it!

1.    Footnote: For details of the Vocal Score see our MusicSmiles Bibliography.  Return to Story

2.    Footnote: We first encounter Alfred Cellier when he and his brother François were Children of the Chapel Royal at the same time as Arthur Sullivan. Later Alfred became Arthur Sullivan's right hand man at the Savoy Theatre, rehearsing the cast, conducting, and even composing overtures for Sullivan. Both Alfred and brother François were fine musicians and popular composers. Later, in 1878, during HMS Pinafore, his brother François took over from him at The Savoy. In1891-2 Alfred composed the music for W S Gilbert's The Mountebanks, which achieved moderate success at the Lyric Theatre.  In 1927 he wrote a book entitled Gilbert, Sullivan and D'Oyly Carte, published by Pitman. For further details see Leslie Baily's marvellous book in the MusicSmiles Bibliography. Return to Story.

3.    Footnote: See G M Trevelyan's superb English Social History Chapter 17 Between The Two Reform Bills (1832-67), and Chapter 18 The Second Half of the Victorian Era (1865-1901) for additional information, in our MusicSmiles Bibliography.  Return to Story

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