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The comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan

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Between 1875 and 1896 W S Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan produced a series of light operas that entertained Victorian society and proved so popular that they are still widely performed to this day, all over the world. Gilbert wrote the words and devised some highly tortuous and absurd plots, while Sullivan wrote music that was tuneful, sometimes sentimental, and very memorable.

Here is a quiz about the operas. Even if you have never seen a G&S opera, you might be able to work out some of the answers from the choices on offer!

  • Question of

    Which opera is set in Japan?

    • Iolanthe
    • Trial by Jury
    • The Mikado
    • The Gondoliers
  • Question of

    In which opera do portraits come to life and berate the hero for not committing his daily crime?

    • The Grand Duke
    • Ruddigore
    • The Sorceror
    • Princess Ida
  • Question of

    Which opera is set on a ship moored in Portsmouth Harbour?

    • H M S Pinafore
    • The Pirates of Penzanze
    • The Gondoliers
    • Utopia Limited
  • Question of

    In which opera does the Lord Chancellor have a nightmare?

    • The Mikado
    • The Yeomen of the Guard
    • Iolanthe
    • Patience
  • Question of

    Which opera is a satire on the Aesthetic Movement and Oscar Wilde?

    • The Gondoliers
    • The Sorceror
    • The Grand Duke
    • Patience
  • Question of

    In which opera, set in a famous tower in the 16th century, does a jester fail to find love?

    • The Pirates of Penzance
    • The Yeomen of the Guard
    • The Grand Duke
    • Trial by Jury
  • Question of

    In which opera does the date 29th February play a vital role?

    • Ruddigore
    • The Sorceror
    • The Gondoliers
    • The Pirates of Penzance
  • Question of

    Which one-act opera revolves around a breach of promise of marriage?

    • Trial by Jury
    • The Mikado
    • H M S Pinafore
    • Patience
  • Question of

    The first act of which opera is set in Venice?

    • The Mikado
    • Iolanthe
    • The Gondoliers
    • Ruddigore
  • Question of

    In which opera does the admistration of a love potion go wrong?

    • The Yeomen of the Guard
    • Utopia Limited
    • Princess Ida
    • The Sorceror

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