Tragedy and comedy intertwine in the story of W.S. Gilbert. This blue plaque marks a place associated with the life of Sir William Schwenck Gilbert. He was a renowned English dramatist librettist poet and illustrator.
Gilbert was born William Schwenck Gilbert in London in 1836. His collaboration with Arthur Sullivan produced fourteen comic operas. These included H.M.S. Pinafore The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado. The Savoy operas are still frequently performed.
Gilbert’s early life was marked by distant parents. He found solace in writing. He created light verse short stories and theatre reviews. His unique absurdist style became known as his “topsy-turvy” style.
Gilbert developed a realistic method of stage direction. He gained a reputation as a strict theatre director. He wrote many plays and libretti. These included German Reed Entertainments and fairy comedies.
In 1871 John Hollingshead commissioned Gilbert to work with Sullivan. This resulted in Thespis or The Gods Grown Old. In 1875 Gilbert and Sullivan created Trial by Jury. This was a runaway hit.
Gilbert sought respectability for his profession. He arranged for publishers to print his plays in an appealing format. This was designed for the general reader.
Gilbert married Lucy Agnes Turner in 1867. They had no children but had many pets. Gilbert’s collaboration with Sullivan reached its peak. They produced The Sorcerer and H.M.S. Pinafore.
H.M.S. Pinafore became a red-hot favourite. Gilbert Sullivan and Carte fought to control American performance copyrights. The Savoy Operas continued with Patience Iolanthe and The Mikado. Gilbert designed costumes for some of these.
Gilbert and Sullivan also collaborated on the oratorio The Martyr of Antioch. Gilbert’s relationship with Sullivan sometimes became strained. This was due to opposing personalities and artistic desires.
A dispute arose over expenses at the Savoy Theatre. This became known as the “carpet quarrel”. Gilbert sued Carte and withdrew performance rights. Tom Chappell mediated and two more operas resulted.
These were Utopia Limited and The Grand Duke. The partnership ended for good after that. Gilbert built the Garrick Theatre in 1889. He moved to Grim’s Dyke in 1890.
Gilbert was appointed Justice of the Peace for Middlesex in 1891. He was knighted in 1907. This recognized his contributions to drama. Gilbert’s last play was The Hooligan.
On May 29 1911 Gilbert died of a heart attack. He was attempting to rescue a young woman from drowning. This happened in the lake at his home. His foe was folly and his weapon wit.
W.S. Gilbert’s legacy is immense. His influence is felt in American and British musical theatre. His phrases became part of the English language.