What is Thespis?
{{italictitle}} {{Infobox play | name = Thespis | image = Thespis programme.jpg | image_size = | image_alt = | caption = Original programme | writer = [[W. S. Gilbert]] (words)<br />[[Arthur Sullivan]] (music) | chorus = | characters = | mute = | setting = [[Mount Olympus]] | premiere = 26 December 1871 | place = Gaiety Theatre<br />[[London, England]] | orig_lang = English | series = | subject = Greek mythology | genre = [[Operetta]] | web = | playbill = | ibdb_id = | iobdb_id = | theatricalia_id = }} '''''Thespis, or The Gods Grown Old''''' is an [[operetta]] by [[Gilbert and Sullivan]]. It is the first of their fourteen operettas. It was commissioned in 1871 by John Hollingshead, manager and owner of the Gaiety Theatre in the Strand. It was not well rehearsed, and lasted only 65 performances. It was generally well received by the [[critic]]s. ''Thespis'' takes place on [[Mount Olympus]] and tells of a theatrical company which takes over the duties of the ancient Greek gods. Most of the music has been lost, making it impossible to reconstruct the operetta. ==References== * Bradley, Ian. 2001. ''The Complete Annotated Gilbert and Sullivan''. Oxford University Press. p. 3. [[Category:Operettas by Gilbert and Sullivan]] [[Category:1870s operas]] [[Category:1871 works]] {{performing-arts-stub}}