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Gilbert and Sullivan's 'Respectable Capers'

Class, Respectability and the Savoy Operas 1877–1909

Palgrave Macmillan

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Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in British Musical Theatre (PSBMT)

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Table of contents (8 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xviii
  2. Introduction

    • Michael Goron
    Pages 1-15
  3. Patience at the Savoy

    • Michael Goron
    Pages 73-106
  4. Savoy Audiences 1881–1909

    • Michael Goron
    Pages 107-139
  5. Conclusion

    • Michael Goron
    Pages 223-230
  6. Back Matter

    Pages 231-249

About this book

This innovative account of the Gilbert and Sullivan partnership provides a unique insight into the experience of both attending and performing in the original productions of the most influential and enduring pieces of English-language musical theatre.

In the 1870s, Savoy impresario Richard D’Oyly Carte astutely realized that a conscious move to respectability in a West End which, until then, had favored the racy delights of burlesque and French operetta, would attract a new, lucrative morally ‘decent’ audience.

This book examines the commercial, material and human factors underlying the Victorian productions of the Savoy operas. Unusually for a book on ‘G&S’, it focuses on people and things rather than author biography or literary criticism. Examining theatre architecture, interior design, marketing, and typical audiences, as well as the working conditions and personal lives of the members of a Victorian theatre-company, ‘Respectable Capers’ explains how the Gilbert and Sullivan operas helped to transform the West End into the family-friendly ‘theatre land’ which still exists today.


Authors and Affiliations

  • Southampton Solent University, Southampton, United Kingdom

    Michael Goron

About the author

Michael Goron began his working life as a professional actor, working in everything from German Expressionism to traditional pantomime. He formed a small scale touring theatre company for which he directed a number of shows. Michael returned to Higher Education as a post-graduate student and, from 2007, as a lecturer at the universities of Winchester and Southampton Solent, UK.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Gilbert and Sullivan's 'Respectable Capers'

  • Book Subtitle: Class, Respectability and the Savoy Operas 1877–1909

  • Authors: Michael Goron

  • Series Title: Palgrave Studies in British Musical Theatre

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59478-5

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan London

  • eBook Packages: Literature, Cultural and Media Studies, Literature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-137-59477-8Published: 27 September 2016

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-1-349-95537-4Published: 27 June 2018

  • eBook ISBN: 978-1-137-59478-5Published: 16 September 2016

  • Series ISSN: 2946-4137

  • Series E-ISSN: 2946-4145

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XVIII, 249

  • Number of Illustrations: 8 b/w illustrations, 1 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Theatre History

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 69.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 89.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access