Trial By Jury

The sparkling musical that launched the famous G&S collaboration !

In 1875 Arthur Sullivan was one of England’s leading ‘serious’ composers. William Gilbert was a well known satirist and playwright. They had collaborated four years earlier on Thespis, a short-lived Christmas entertainment. And that, they thought, was that. But a theatrical impresario named Richard D’Oyly Carte convinced them to have another go.

Trial by Jury took London by storm. It was commissioned to fill up an evening dominated by a French operetta. But it was so popular that it soon became the main attraction. The string of Gilbert and Sullivan collaborations now known as the Savoy Operas followed.  If there hadn’t been Trial by Jury, there’d be no Mikado, no Pirates of Penzance, no HMS Pinafore and so on. It’s almost impossible to imagine.

Trial by Jury is quite short, only forty minutes, and alone of their operas contains no spoken dialogue. There are many people who consider it to be the most perfectly constructed of the whole series and it is indeed a little gem of wit, sentiment and charm. The absurdities that can come from a breach of promise case was just the subject to inspire Gilbert (a failed barrister). Sullivan, in turn, was moved to write some of his most sparkling music. He gently mocked other composers, including the great Handel in his chorus, ‘All Hail Great Judge’. You can almost hear the “Allelujahs”.

The part of the judge (“and a good judge too”) in the first production was played by Fred Sullivan, the composer's brother. This time around we have G&S veteran Brian King. He’s tackled most of the great patter song roles in the G&S canon, including the Duke of Plaza Toro and King Gama. The counsel for the defense is traditionally a male role. But for this production he becomes she, a feisty suffragette, sung by Lori Proulx (seen last season in both Cinderella and Red, Hot and Cole.)  Two rising musical stars round out the principal cast. The would-be bride is Karen Myatt, a soprano embarking on a professional career. (She was also featured in Red, Hot and Cole.) Her adversary, the caddish Edwin, is sung by Brian Hart (last fall’s Prince in Cinderella). Stephen Workman is the Usher.

TRIAL BY JURY shares a double bill with
THE COMPLEAT WORKS OF GILBERT & SULLIVAN – ABRIDGED!

SAT, NOV 25   8pm    
THE PEARL THEATRE, LUNENBURG

FRI, DEC 1 & SAT, DEC 2 @ 8 pm
ST GEORGE’S CHURCH, HALIFAX

CAST & CREW

SHOW PICTURES