Trial by Jury

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This article is about the comic opera. For the legal institution, see jury trial. For the TV drama series, see Law & Order: Trial by Jury.

Trial by Jury is a comic opera in one act, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered on March 25, 1875 in London at the Royalty Theatre, where it initially ran for 131 performances. Initially it was played last on a triple bill; the other two works on opening night were Jacques Offenbach's La Périchole and Charles Collette's one-act farce Cryptoconchoidsyphonostomata, which was immediately thereafter replaced with another work.

The opera came four years after Gilbert and Sullivan's only previous collaboration (Thespis, an 1871–72 Christmas season entertainment). In the intervening years, the author and composer each became even more eminent in his field. Trial was a hit, and numerous revivals followed. Its success launched the series of Gilbert and Sullivan operas (twelve more after Trial) that came to be known as the Savoy Operas, named for the theatre that Carte later built for them.

Trial is the only Gilbert and Sullivan opera played in one act, and the only one with no spoken dialogue. As it is only about 30 minutes long, it is usually coupled with another work — often one of the shorter two-act Savoy Operas, such as The Sorcerer or H.M.S. Pinafore, or presented as a triple bill with Cox and Box and The Zoo. As with all the G&S operas, the plot of Trial is ludicrous, but by behaving as if everything were perfectly reasonable, the characters in this satire of the legal system (a favorite target of Gilbert's, who had a brief legal career) reveal truths about common foibles and follies of men, women and society at large.

Contents 1 Background 2 Roles 3 Synopsis 4 Musical numbers 5 Productions 6 Historical casting 7 Benefit performances 8 References 9 External links

[edit] Background

In 1868, Gilbert had published one of his Bab Ballads, entitled Trial by Jury: An Operetta. This was a single-page comic skit, in verse. It described a trial for "breach of promise" (a man’s failure to marry the woman to whom he is engaged). This piece was one of Gilbert’s humorous spoofs of the law and the legal profession, based on his brief experience as a barrister. The skit ends with the impatient Judge resolving the lawsuit by marrying the comely plaintiff himself.

In 1873, Gilbert arranged with the theatrical manager and composer, Carl Rosa, to expand the piece into a one-act libretto. Rosa was to write the music, and his wife was to sing the role of the plaintiff, as part of a season of English opera that Rosa planned to present at the Drury Lane Theatre. Rosa's wife died in childbirth in 1874, and the project was dropped. Later in 1874, Gilbert offered the libretto to impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte, but Carte as yet had no venue where the piece would be suitable. By early 1875, Carte was managing Madame Selina Dolaro's Royalty Theatre, and he needed a short opera to be played as an afterpiece to Offenbach's La Périchole. He remembered Trial by Jury, and, having seen Thespis, Carte suggested that Sullivan was the man to set the new piece. Sullivan was enthusiastic, and Trial by Jury was composed in a matter of weeks. The result was a witty, tuneful and very "English" piece that became an immediate hit in London and on tour throughout the provinces. There was even an authorised American production.

Gilbert insisted that his actors know their words perfectly and obey his stage directions, something quite new to many actors of the day.

[edit] Roles

• The Learned Judge (comic baritone)
• The Plaintiff (soprano)
• The Defendant (tenor)
• Counsel for the Plainiff (high baritone)
• Usher (bass-baritone)
• Foreman of the Jury (bass)
• Associate (silent)
• First Bridesmaid
• Chorus of Bridesmaids, Gentlemen of the Jury, Barristers, Attorneys and Public.

[edit] Synopsis

The curtain rises on the Court of the Exchequer, where a jury and the public assemble to hear a case of breach of promise of marriage ("Hark, the Hour of Ten is Sounding"). After a biased introduction to the proceedings by the Usher ("Now, Jurymen, Hear My Advice"), it soon becomes clear that the jurymen's sympathies are with the plaintiff, Angelina. They greet the defendant, Edwin, with hostility. He tries to persuade them that his position is reasonable ("When First my Old, Old Love I Knew"), but as they are respectable gentlemen, they refuse to make any allowances for the fickleness of youth ("Oh, I was Like That When a Lad").

The Judge enters with great pomp ("All Hail, Great Judge"), and starts the proceedings by describing how he rose to his position ("When I, Good Friends, Was Called to the Bar"). Preliminaries dispensed with, the jury is sworn in and the plaintiff summoned into court: she arrives in full wedding dress, accompanied by all her bridesmaids ("Comes the Broken Flower"), and instantly captures the heart of both the jury and the Judge. Counsel for the plaintiff makes a moving speech detailing Edwin's betrayal ("With a Sense of Deep Emotion"). Angelina sobs, first in the arms of the foreman of the jury, and then of the Judge.

Edwin suggests that he will marry both women ("Oh Gentlemen, Listen, I Pray"), but the counsel points out that this would be "burglaree". Perplexed, everyone in court ponders the difficulty of the situation ("A Nice Dilemma We Have Here"). Angelina says that she still loves Edwin, and deplores the loss of his love ("I love him, I love him"), and so substantial damages should be awarded to her. But Edwin says that he is a smoker, a drunkard, and a bully, and that she would surely have been unhappy with him, and so the damages should be small. The Judge suggests making Edwin tipsy to see if he would really "thrash and kick" the plaintiff, but everyone except Edwin objects. Impatient at the lack of progress, the Judge resolves the case by proposing to marry Angelina himself. This is quite satisfactory, and the opera is concluded "With Joy Unbounded".

[edit] Musical numbers

• 1. "Hark, the hour of ten is sounding" (Usher and Chorus)
• 1a. "Now, Jurymen, hear my advice" (Usher)
• 1b. "Is this the Court of the Exchequer?" (Defendant)
• 2. "When first my old, old love I knew" (Defendant and Chorus)
• 3. "All hail great Judge!" (Chorus and Judge)
• 4. "When I, good friends, was call'd to the Bar" (Judge)
• 5. "Swear thou the Jury" (Counsel)
• 6. "Where is the Plaintiff?" (Chorus of Bridesmaids)
• 7. "Oh, never, never, never, since I join' the human race" (Judge, Chorus)
• 8. "May it please you, my lud!" (Counsel for Plaintiff)
• 9. "That she is reeling is plain to see!" (Counsel, Angelina, Judge, Chorus)
• 10. "Oh, gentlemen, listen, I pray" (Defendant)
• 11. "That seems a reasonable proposition"
• 12. "A nice dilemma we have here" (Plaintiff, Defendant, Counsel, Judge, Usher, Foreman and Chorus)
• 13. "I love him, I love him, with fervour unceasing" (Plaintiff, Defendant and Chorus)
• 14. "Oh, joy unbounded, with wealth surrounded" (Ensemble)

[edit] Productions

After the premiere of Trial by Jury in 1875, operetta companies in London and in the provinces picked it up rapidly, usually playing it as a forepiece or an afterpiece to French operettas. The first American productions were at the Arch Street Theatre in Philadelphia on October 22, 1875, and the Eagle Theatre in New York on November 15, 1875.

After Gilbert and Sullivan became established with Richard D'Oyly Carte, Trial was usually played as a companion piece to The Sorcerer or H.M.S. Pinafore. From 1894, the year when the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company established a year-long touring company that had most of the Gilbert and Sullivan works in its repertory, Trial was always included, except for 1901–1904, and then again from 1943–46, when the company played a reduced repertory during World War II. It was eliminated in 1976, as a cost-saving measure.

The following table summarises the main London productions of Trial by Jury during Gilbert's and Sullivan's lifetimes:

Theatre	Opening Date	Closing Date	Perfs.	Details
Royalty Theatre	March 25, 1875	June 11, 1875	131	This company also played matinées at the Gaiety Theatre on 10, 17, and 24 April 1875. From June 12 – October 10, the company took Trial and other operas on a provincial tour.
	October 11, 1875	December 18, 1875
Opera Comique	January 14, 1876	May 5, 1876	96	Trial was not performed from March 13–18 due to the illness of Fred Sullivan. After May 5, the company went on tour through October 28, with Fred Sullivan remaining in the show as the Judge most of the time.
Strand Theatre	March 3, 1877	May 26, 1877	73	Played with various operettas under the management of Mrs. Swanborough. This company then toured the provinces through July 28.
Opera Comique	March 23, 1878	May 24, 1878	56	Played as an afterpiece to The Sorcerer
Savoy Theatre	October 11, 1884	March 12, 1885	150	Played as a forepiece to The Sorcerer
Savoy Theatre	September 22, 1898	December 31, 1898	102	Played as a forepiece to The Sorcerer
Savoy Theatre	June 6, 1899	November 25, 1899	174	Played as a forepiece to H.M.S. Pinafore

[edit] Historical casting

The following tables show the casts of the principal original productions and D'Oyly Carte Opera Company touring repertory at various times through to the 1975 centenary season:

Role	Royalty Theatre 1875	Opera Comique 1878	Savoy Theatre 1884	Savoy Theatre 1898
Judge	Frederic Sullivan	George Grossmith	Rutland Barrington	Henry Lytton
Counsel	J. Hollinsworth	Rutland Barrington	Eric Lewis	Jones Hewson
Defendant	Walter H. Fisher	George Power	Durward Lely	Cory James
Foreman	Charles Kelleher	F. Talbot	Arthur Kennett	Leonard Russell
Usher	B. R. Pepper	Fred Clifton	William Lugg	Walter Passmore
Associate			J. Wilbraham	Charles Childerstone
Plaintiff	Nelly Bromley	Lisa Walton	Florence Dysart	Isabel Jay
1st Bridesmaid	Linda Verner		Sybil Grey	Mildred Baker

Role	D'Oyly Carte 1905 Tour	D'Oyly Carte 1915 Tour	D'Oyly Carte 1925 Tour	D'Oyly Carte 1935 Tour
Judge	Charles H. Workman	Leo Sheffield	Leo Sheffield	Sydney Granville
Counsel	Albert Kavanagh	Frederick Hobbs	Henry Millidge	Leslie Rands
Defendant	Strafford Moss	Dewey Gibson	Sidney Pointer	Robert Wilson
Foreman	Reginald White	Frank Steward	T. Penry Hughes	T. Penry Hughes
Usher	J. Lewis Campion	George Sinclair	Joseph Griffin	Richard Walker
Associate		Allen Morris	Martyn Green	C. William Morgan
Plaintiff	Bessie Mackenzie	Marjorie Gordon	Eleanor Evans	Ann Drummond-Grant
1st Bridesmaid	Mabel Burnege	Ethel Armit	Beatrice Elburn	Nancy Ray

Role	D'Oyly Carte 1949 Tour	D'Oyly Carte 1955 Tour	D'Oyly Carte 1965 Tour	D'Oyly Carte 1975 Tour
Judge	Richard Watson	John Reed	Jeffrey Skitch	Jon Ellison
Counsel	Alan Styler	Alan Styler	Alan Styler	Gareth Jones
Defendant	Leonard Osborn	John Fryatt	Philip Potter	Barry Clark
Foreman	Donald Harris	Jack Habbick	Anthony Raffell	James Conroy-Ward
Usher	L. Radley Flynn	George Cook	George Cook	Paul Waite
Associate	C. William Morgan	Keith Bonnington	Howard Williamson	William Palmerley
Plaintiff	Enid Walsh	Kathleen West	Jennifer Toye	Glynis Prendergast
1st Bridesmaid	Joyce Wright	Margaret Dobson	Pauline Wales	Patricia Anne Bennett

[edit] Benefit performances

Starting in 1877, Trial by Jury was often given at benefit performances, usually for an actor or actress who had fallen on hard times, but occasionally for other causes. These were glittering affairs, with various celebrities appearing in principal roles or as part of the chorus. W. S. Gilbert himself played the silent role of the Associate on at least four occasions. Arthur Sullivan conducted the 1877 benefit for actor Henry Compton. The Ellen Terry benefit in 1906 was a particularly well attended affair, with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle numbered among the jury. Burgess (1997, pp. 56–61) reproduces the programmes for several of these benefits in facsimile. Others are listed in Gänzl (1986, pp. 95–98).

Role	Henry Compton Drury Lane March 1, 1877	Amy Roselle Lyceum June 16, 1887	Rutland Barrington Savoy May 28, 1889	Nellie Farren Drury Lane March 17, 1898
Judge	George Honey	Rutland Barrington	Rutland Barrington	Rutland Barrington
Counsel	George Fox	Richard Temple	Alec Marsh	Eric Lewis
Defendant	W. H. Cummings	Henry Bracy	Courtice Pounds	Courtice Pounds
Foreman			Mr. Burbank	Henry Lytton
Usher	Arthur Cecil	R. Lewis	William Lugg	Walter Passmore
Associate	W. S. Gilbert			W. S. Gilbert
Plaintiff	Pauline Rita	Geraldine Ulmar	Lottie Venne	Florence Perry

Role	Disabled Soldiers Drury Lane May 15, 1900	Mr. Ringold Lyric Theatre December 5, 1902	Ellen Terry Drury Lane June 12, 1906
Judge	Rutland Barrington	Rutland Barrington	Rutland Barrington
Counsel	Eric Lewis	C. Hayden Coffin	Henry Lytton
Defendant	Courtice Pounds	Courtice Pounds	Courtice Pounds
Foreman	W. H. Denny	Fred Kaye	Robert Marshall
Usher	Walter Passmore	George Grossmith, Jr.	Walter Passmore
Associate	W. S. Gilbert	Lionel Monckton	W. S. Gilbert
Plaintiff	Florence St. John	Evie Greene	Ruth Vincent

[edit] References

• Burgess, A. J. (1997). The Notary and other Lawyers in Gilbert & Sullivan. Hadleigh, Suffolk: Jardine Press.

• Gänzl, Kurt (1986). The British Musical Theatre—Volume I, 1865–1914. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

• Rollins, Cyril, R. John Witts (1962). The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in Gilbert and Sullivan Operas: A Record of Productions, 1875–1961. London: Michael Joseph. Also, five supplements, privately printed.

[edit] External links

• Trial by Jury at The Gilbert & Sullivan Archive

• Trial by Jury at The Gilbert & Sullivan Discography

• Site containing biographies of the people listed in the historical cast and benefit cast tables

Gilbert and Sullivan
The Triumvirate: W. S. Gilbert | Arthur Sullivan | Richard D'Oyly Carte
The Gilbert and Sullivan Operas: Thespis • Trial by Jury • The Sorcerer • H.M.S. Pinafore • The Pirates of Penzance • Patience • Iolanthe • Princess Ida The Mikado • Ruddigore • The Yeomen of the Guard • The Gondoliers • Utopia, Limited • The Grand Duke
Other Works: Other Works by W. S. Gilbert • Other Operas by Arthur Sullivan • Other Music by Arthur Sullivan
People: People associated with Gilbert and Sullivan • Gilbert and Sullivan performers