Wolverton Gilbert and Sullivan Society to perform "The Zoo and Other Greedy Animals"
The members of Wolverton G&S Society are delighted to announce their latest production of "The Zoo and Other Greedy Animals," running for three nights only at Stantonbury Theatre from Thursday 6th to Saturday 8th November 2025 starting at 7:30pm.
Wolverton Gilbert and Sullivan Society to perform "The Zoo and Other Greedy Animals" - A Night of Musical Folly and Creature Comforts!
The members of Wolverton G&S Society are delighted to announce their latest production of "The Zoo and Other Greedy Animals," running for three nights only at Stantonbury Theatre from Thursday 6th to Saturday 8th November 2025, starting at 7:30 pm. This splendid double-bill features a complete staging of Arthur Sullivan's one-act comic opera, The Zoo, complemented by a whimsical selection of songs and poems celebrating The Zoo's twin themes of food and animals.
The libretto for The Zoo was by Mr. B.C. Stephenson, writing as Bolton Rowe, a notable figure in Victorian theatre who was well known for his record-breaking comic opera Dorothy (1886), which ran even longer than The Mikado. Premiering in London just three months after Sullivan's first big hit with W.S. Gilbert, Trial by Jury, in 1875, The Zoo offers a glimpse into Sullivan's early theatrical career beyond his famous Savoy Operas.
The farcical plot unfolds in the bustling London Zoological Gardens in Regent's Park. We will meet Aesculapius Carboy, an apothecary convinced he's accidentally poisoned his beloved Laetitia Grinder by mixing up her father's backache prescription with her peppermint lotion. His despair leads him to the Zoo, intent on suicide, only to be hilariously confounded at every attempt. Meanwhile, the mysterious Thomas Brown, a Duke disguised as a commoner, attempts to win the affections of Eliza Smith, the no-nonsense refreshment stall keeper, by comically (and valiantly) eating everything on her stall. She believes he is poor when she declares her love until he collapses in a heap, accidentally revealing his true identity.
The second half of the evening, "Other Greedy Animals," promises an equally entertaining mixture of music and poetic delights, woven around the themes of food and the animal kingdom. We can look forward to delightful gems such as the "Hippopotamus Song" by Flanders & Swann, "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" by Tom Lehrer, and classic Gilbert and Sullivan such as the "Sausage Roll Song" from The Grand Duke and "Tit Willow" from The Mikado. With a selection of charming poetry, including "The Elephant" and "The Gnu," this is an evening not to be missed.
Get your tickets now from our website, wolvertongands.co.uk, where you will also find more details and booking information, or you can buy tickets directly from the online box office at https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/83312?&track=print