W. S. Gilbert: a classic Victorian and his theatre

Abstract

Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (1836-1911) was the most brilliant dramatist of Victorian England. His plays were considered daring and cynical, and he was the forerunner of Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw. He was also a prolific journalist and humorous poet (his Bab Ballads are still widely read), and he achieved worldwide fame through his long collaboration with the composer Arthur Sullivan. The libretti of H.M.S Pinafore, The Mikado, and all the other Savoy Operas were written by Gilbert, and the story of their often stormy relationship is here chronicled by a renowned authority on Gilbert's life and on the theatrical and literary scene in Victorian London. For this biography Jane Stedman has returned to original sources, has interviewed survivors, and has scoured a whole variety of Victorian periodicals for reviews and personal comment. Gilbert emerges as a much more complex and interesting figure than has previously been thought, and the book is a worthy companion piece to Arthur Jacobs's recent biography Arthur Sullivan: A Victorian Musician.

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