Thespis, or The Gods Grown Old, was the first collaboration between William S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. It would be four more years before the pair would collaborate on their next work, the one-act operetta Trial by Jury. Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (November 18, 1836 - May 29, 1911) was a British dramatist and librettist best known for his operatic collaborations with the composer Arthur Sullivan. ... Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (May 13, 1842–November 22, 1900) was a British composer best known for his operatic collaborations with librettist William S. Gilbert. ... The jury trial (not to be confused with grand jury proceedings or trial by jury) is a bench trial wherein the Judge uses a jury to advise him on the facts while he determines the law. ...

Thespis was an extravaganza in which the gods of Olympus, now become elderly, were temporarily replaced by a troupe of nineteenth-century actors and actresses (one of whom was the eponymous Thespis, the Greek father of drama – continuity was never Gilbert's forte). In concept, the piece was consistent with the Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld and La Belle Helene, which (in translation) then dominated the English musical stage. This article refers to a mountain in Greece. ... Thespis of Icaria (6th century BC) is claimed to be the first person ever to appear on stage as an actor in a play. ... Offenbach holds many meanings. ... Orphée aux enfers is an operetta in two acts by Jacques Offenbach. ...

The operetta premiered at the Gaiety Theatre in London on December 26, 1871, and ran for 64 performances. Sullivan was unhappy with the work, and is believed to have thrown the score into the Thames River, thus causing it to be lost to modern scholars. The Gaiety Theatre is a drama theatre in Dublin, Ireland founded on 27 November 1871. ... Greater London and the Regions of England. ... December 26 is the 360th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, 361st in leap years. ... 1871 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Thames River is the name of a river in Ontario, Canada and one in Connecticut, United States of America. ...

Three pieces of music from Thespis are known to survive. The song "Climbing Over Rocky Mountain" was re-scored and slightly re-written for inclusion in The Pirates of Penzance, and the song "Little Maid of Arcadee" was published as piano music during the initial run. In 1990, the ballet music from Thespis' second act was discovered by Roderick Spencer and Selwyn Tillett. Several composers have written scores based on Gilbert's writings, many of which have recycled music from Sullivan's other works, both with and without Gilbert. The Pirates of Penzance, or The Slave of Duty, is a Gilbert and Sullivan comic operetta in two acts. ...

External links

• Thespis on the Gilbert and Sullivan Archive (http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/thespis/html/thespis_home.html)
• wikisource:Thespis