Trial by Jury facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Trial by Jury
Original programme
Written by	W. S. Gilbert (words) Arthur Sullivan (music)
Characters	Angelina, the Plaintiff Edwin, the Defendant Learned Judge
Date of premiere	25 March 1875
Place of premiere	Royalty Theatre London, England
Original language	English
Subject	Breach of promise
Genre	Operetta
Setting	Court of the Exchequer, ca. 1875

Trial by Jury is a fun, short musical play called an operetta. It was created by two famous British artists, W. S. Gilbert (who wrote the words) and Arthur Sullivan (who wrote the music). This show is special because it was their second time working together. It's also the oldest of their many works that people still perform today!

Trial by Jury first opened in London on March 25, 1875, at the Royalty Theatre. It was shown alongside other plays, and people really loved it.

What is Trial by Jury About?

This operetta tells a funny story in just one act. It's about a young man named Edwin who promised to marry a woman named Angelina. But then, he changed his mind and decided not to marry her. This is called "breach of promise."

Angelina is very upset, so she takes Edwin to court. She wants the judge to make him pay for breaking his promise. The whole show takes place in a courtroom.

A Surprising Ending

During the trial, things get very silly. The judge, who is supposed to be fair, ends up falling in love with Angelina himself! To solve the problem, the judge decides to marry Angelina instead of Edwin. This makes everyone happy, especially Angelina!

The operetta is only about 45 minutes long. It's unique because it has no spoken lines, only singing. This makes it feel like a mini-opera!

Why is it Popular?

Trial by Jury was a big hit from the start. It was performed about 300 times in its first two years. People loved its funny story and catchy music.

Today, it's often performed with other short Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. A common pairing is with H.M.S. Pinafore. This gives audiences a chance to enjoy two great shows in one evening.

Images for kids

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  A scene from Trial by Jury as illustrated in the magazine Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News of 1 May 1875

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  Gilbert's original sketch of Trial by Jury, published in Fun in 1868

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  April 1875 programme for La Périchole and Trial by Jury. Sullivan and Gilbert are the cherubs.

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  The Usher advises the jury. Drawing by W. S. Gilbert

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  Sullivan's original thematic sketch of Trial by Jury

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  Fred Sullivan as The Learned Judge

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  Part of the vocal score of "A nice dilemma"

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  Rutland Barrington as the Learned Judge

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  The Plaintiff, in "distress", captures the sympathy of the judge and jury. Production with Sydney Granville, 1919

See also

In Spanish: Trial by Jury para niños