Thespis or "The Gods Grown Old"
A musical play by Gilbert and Sullivan.
Opened December 26 1871 at the Gaiety Theatre London (no longer standing).
Most of the music has been lost so it is generally performed to other Sullivan music or other composers' scores.
General Plot:
The time is the present (1871) the
Gods of Olympus are getting
old. A
misfit band of
thespians climb to the summit of
Mount Olympus for a
picnic! Seeing them the Gods
hatch a plan for a bit of a rest asking the
troupe to play the part of the Gods for a while. Naturally they
jump at the chance –
mirth ensues...
A bit different to the other more well know operettas; more like a pantomime which was the style generally offered at the Gaiety Theatre at that time.
http://diamond.boisestate.edu/gas/thespis/