Thespis

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 critics.

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