LETTER of the MONTH
A great Victorian wit
he deluge of puns and Gilbertian references in Tom Service’s eloquent article (September) testifies to(poster pictured above) are rightly singled out for praise, fully worthy as they are of the continental-style ‘Grand Opera’ that Arthur Sullivan yearned to write. Another example of ‘serious’ messages hidden among the hilariously witty slapstick is the Nightmare song from , in which unrequited love produces traumatic psychological menace. And it should not surprise us that G&S were threatened with lawsuits when some of their well- aimed barbs against nepotism and incompetence struck home. Even Parliament was not immune: ‘The House of Peers, throughout the war, did nothing in particular, and did it very well’, while in the luckless Commons, ‘If they’ve a brain and cerebellum too, They have to leave that brain outside And vote just as their leaders tell ’em to.’ It seems that much-derided pillars of the Victorian Establishment turn out to be more complex than has been generally appreciated. And aside from their exquisite satire, G&S remain a lot of fun.
