''The Happy Land'' is a play with music written in 1873 by

W. S. Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most f ...

(under the pseudonym F. Latour Tomline) and

Gilbert Arthur à Beckett Gilbert Arthur à Beckett (April 7, 1837 – October 15, 1891) was an English writer. Biography Beckett was born at Portland House Hammersmith, on 7 April 1837, the eldest son of the civil servant and humorist Gilbert Abbott à Beckett and t ...

. The musical play

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

s Gilbert's earlier play, ''

The Wicked World ''The Wicked World'' is a blank verse play by W. S. Gilbert in three acts. It opened at the Haymarket Theatre on 1873 and ran for a successful 145 performances, closing on 1873. The play is an allegory loosely based on a short illustrated st ...

''. The

blank verse Blank verse is poetry written with regular metrical but unrhymed lines, almost always in iambic pentameter. It has been described as "probably the most common and influential form that English poetry has taken since the 16th century", and P ...

piece opened at the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, Englan ...

on 3 March 1873 and enjoyed a highly successful run, soon touring, and then being immediately revived at the same theatre in the autumn of 1873.Joseph S Meisel (1999),
The Importance of Being Serious: The Unexplored Connection between Gladstone and Humour
', History 84 (274), p. 278–300. Rees, Terence. "''The Happy Land'': its true and remarkable history" in ''W. S. Gilbert Society Journal'' vol. 1, no. 8 (1994), pp. 228–37 The play created a scandal by breaking regulations against the portrayal of public characters, parodying

William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...

Robert Lowe Robert Lowe, 1st Viscount Sherbrooke, GCB, PC (4 December 1811 – 27 July 1892), British statesman, was a pivotal conservative spokesman who helped shape British politics in the latter half of the 19th century. He held office under William E ...

, and

Acton Smee Ayrton Acton Smee Ayrton (5 August 1816 – 30 November 1886) was a British barrister and Liberal Party politician. Considered a radical and champion of the working classes, he served as First Commissioner of Works under William Ewart Gladstone between ...

, respectively the Prime Minister,

Chancellor of the Exchequer The chancellor of the Exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and head of His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, the Chancellor is ...

, and

First Commissioner of Works The First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings was a position within the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and subsequent to 1922, within the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Irel ...

. Three characters were made up and costumed to look like the caricatures of Gladstone, Lowe and Ayrton that had appeared in '' Vanity Fair''. The scandal was great enough to be included in the ''Annual Register'''s "Chronicle of Remarkable Occurrences." The play was censored by Britain's

Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom while also acting as the main cha ...

, which ironically caused it to become unusually popular. ''The Happy Land'' also anticipated some of the themes in the political satire seen in the

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...

operas, including unqualified people in positions of authority, like Sir Joseph in ''

H.M.S. Pinafore ''H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, which ...

'', selecting government by "competitive examination" as in ''

Iolanthe ''Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri'' () is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, first performed in 1882. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh of fourteen operatic collaborations by Gilbert ...

'', and especially the importation of English exemplars to "improve" a naive civilisation, as in ''

Utopia, Limited ''Utopia, Limited; or, The Flowers of Progress'', is a Savoy opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was the second-to-last of Gilbert and Sullivan's fourteen collaborations, premiering on 7 October 1893 for a ...

''.

Background

The year before the play opened, Gilbert told ''The Era'', "As I consider that I am quite as well qualified to judge of what is fit for the ears of a theatrical audience as he Licenser of Playscan be, I have systematically declined to take the slightest notice of his instructions".Stedman, pp. 106–07 ''The Happy Land'' is a

musical

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

of Gilbert's earlier play, ''

''. The plot roughly follows that of ''The Wicked World'', with the disastrous powers of love replaced with the disaster of "popular government". As in ''

'' and several other Gilbert works, the play concerns chaos that is wreaked in Fairyland when an element of life in the mortal world is imported. In ''The Wicked World'', this element is "mortal love", while in ''The Happy Land'', it is "popular government", which is delivered to Fairyland by

Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...

, Lowe, and Ayrton. Stedman calls this a "Gilbertian invasion plot". The three men depicted, and clearly identified by their make-up and by costumes designed after contemporary cartoons in ''Vanity Fair'', were, respectively, Britain's Prime Minister,

and

. The three characters were described in the cast list as Mr. G., Mr. L., and Mr. A. Gladstone's government is portrayed as mean and uncaring of Britain's national interests, degrading British prestige abroad. The three men are seen to lack substance and taste. The daring political attack was almost unprecedented on the English stage. The opening night response was described by

Edward Righton Edward Righton may refer to: * Edward Righton senior (1884–1964), English cricketer * Edward Righton junior (1912–1986), English cricketer, son of the above *Edward Righton (actor) Thomas Edward Corrie Burns Righton (1838 – Januar ...

, who played "Mr. A.": :" s weappeared, rising through the clouds, there burst upon us another gale of boisterous merriment, which increased and increased in volume as we rose higher and higher, until the three figures from ''Vanity Fair'' stood on the stage; then the applause resembled the roaring of cannon or claps of thunder."Article on the background of the play, by Andrew Crowther, at the G&S Archive
The

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

, attended the play on its opening night at the Court Theatre on 3 March 1873. Appalled at this attack on the government of which his mother the Queen was the titular head, he notified

Lord Sydney Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney (24 February 1733 – 30 June 1800) was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1754 to 1783 when he was raised to the peerage as Baron Sydney. He held several important Cabinet posts in ...

, the

and Britain's official censor at the time, about the nature of the play. Three days later, on 6 March, the Lord Chamberlain revoked the play's performance licence, while a public inquiry was begun. This found that "the piece licensed and the piece acted were virtually different productions, unwarrantable alterations and enlargements having been introduced at the rehearsals, which the Lord Chamberlain would never have authorised."''

The Illustrated London News ''The Illustrated London News'' appeared first on Saturday 14 May 1842, as the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. Founded by Herbert Ingram, it appeared weekly until 1971, then less frequently thereafter, and ceased publication in ...

'', 15 March 1873, p, 243 Comparing the licensed copy, which he had approved, with the prompt copy, which was performed, the Lord Chamberlain claimed in a Memorandum that "in the prompter's copy there were eighteen quarto pages of additions, interpolations, and deviations from the original licensed text; and that in the original anuscriptthere was no indication whatsoever to point the allusions to individuals.... The manager expressed regret at what had occurred, and begged that the piece might be allowed to be performed as originally licensed, promising to adhere verbatim to the text, and to avoid anything which should convert the general allusions into personalities" including the make up of the actors. The theatre was only dark for two or three nights before the play was allowed to reopen. However,

Marie Litton Marie Litton (1847 – 1 April 1884) was the stage name of Mary Jessie Lowe, :Notice. – ''The Happy Land''. – Miss Litton begs to inform the public that the Lord Chamberlain has forbidden Messrs. Fisher, Hill, and Righton to make up their faces in imitation of Messrs. Gladstone, Lowe, and Ayrton. – Royal Court Theatre, 6 March. The scandal, which was great enough to be included in the ''Annual Register'''s "Chronicle of Remarkable Occurrences", generated widespread publicity for the play, and, even without the makeup, everyone knew who was really being portrayed. In fact, wrote ''The Times'', "the Lord Chamberlain has proved a mighty instructor ... everybody perfectly knows whom he three actorsare intended to represent, and every line they utter is the signal for an approving roar." The critics mostly praised the piece, although papers disagreed on whether or not the stage should be more subject to censorship than the press. For instance, ''

The Manchester Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' wrote that the satire made "Many a brilliant sally at the supposed short-comings of the present government." Meanwhile, Gilbert was having some trouble keeping up the pseudonym.

Shirley Brooks Charles William Shirley Brooks (29 April 1816 – 23 February 1874) was an English journalist and novelist. Born in London, he began his career in a solicitor's office. Shortly afterwards he took to writing, and contributed to various per ...

may have thought F. Tomline was

Henry Labouchère Henry Du Pré Labouchère (9 November 1831 – 15 January 1912) was an English politician, writer, publisher and theatre owner in the Victorian era, Victorian and Edwardian eras. He is now most remembered for the Labouchere Amendment, Labouchè ...

, but reviewers and others were beginning to link him with Gilbert.Lawrence, p. 161 Worse, Gilbert's friend and collaborator

Frederic Clay Frederic Emes Clay (3 August 1838 – 24 November 1889) was an English composer known principally for songs and his music written for the stage. Although from a musical family, for 16 years Clay made his living as a civil servant in HM Treasury ...

began vigorously defending him against the absolutely true allegations, forcing Gilbert to quietly take him into his confidence. The ''

Athenaeum Athenaeum may refer to: Books and periodicals * ''Athenaeum'' (German magazine), a journal of German Romanticism, established 1798 * ''Athenaeum'' (British magazine), a weekly London literary magazine 1828–1921 * ''The Athenaeum'' (Acadia U ...

'' commented that the play was "written with such talent, and catching very well the very spirit of Mr. Gilbert's manner and method that we cannot but suspect that the interest of Mr. Gilbert in it has not stopped with mere superintendence of stage management, as announced." The play became one of the big hits of the season, running for 142 performances until the theatre closed for summer renovations on 9 August 1873. It then enjoyed a lengthy provincial tour and being immediately revived when the theatre reopened on 14 October 1873. However, for the Lord Chamberlain, the whole affair was a fiasco. His action "raised the question of censorship of the stage in an acute form" and questions about why only the stage should be subject to censorship began to be asked in quarters beyond the theatre: one parliamentarian, Sir Lawrence Palk, MP for East

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

threatened to bring it up in the House of Commons, and some suggested that the Lord Chamberlain was demonstrating political bias in his censorship of the play. One historian wrote that the play:

revealed in a clear and popular form the conservative Tory anguish as the balance of political power tilted away from the aristocracy, and land owners, and the upper middle class, and toward the lower middle class and the workers. Gilbert, in his topsy-turvy manner, stigmatized the ethics and morality of popular government, as the Liberal program was called, and predicted the dire consequences for England of this innovation. Governmental wisdom and virtue could rise no higher than their source, and under popular government the source was the new electorate, motivated by profit, greed, and the crude desires of the mob. At home the quality of British life would sink to the level of the cheap and nasty, and abroad, good-bye to national honor. England under the Liberals was on the way to becoming a second rate power, at the mercy of its mightier neighbors across the channel. According to Gilbert, this was the gloomy outlook for Great Britain under popular government, and it reflected, as the critical reception of ''The Happy Land'' showed, a large body of contemporary opinion.

Gilbert returned to the West End later that year with a new play, '' The Realm of Joy'', set in the lobby of a theatre performing ''The Happy Land'', which rehashed aspects of the scandal, even going so far as to attack the Lord Chamberlain himself, referring to him as "The Lord High Disinfectant". The whole affair had proved such a political liability for the Lord Chamberlain, however, that he had no choice but to order ''The Realm of Joy'' to be licensed, with only the "usual changes". Nevertheless, Gilbert never again directed his satire against specific persons: rather, he aimed his "hose of common sense" at types, such as Sir Joseph in ''

'', the Major-General in ''

The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 ...

'' and Ko-Ko in ''

The Mikado ''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen Gilbert and Sullivan, operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, whe ...

'', who are incompetent persons that have risen to a high government position. In later years, Gilbert appears to have become ashamed of the subversive tone of ''The Happy Land'': in 1909, testifying to a joint committee on stage censorship, he said that his "maturer judgement" on the play was that the Lord Chamberlain's "interference was absolutely justified". page 112 It was not until 1968, that the power of the Lord Chamberlain to censor plays was revoked.

Roles and original cast

;Male Fairies *Ethais – Walter H. Fisher *Phyllon –

W. J. Hill William Jones Hill (14 January 1834 – 13 April 1888), billed as W. J. Hill, was an English actor, singer and comedian.Boase, FedericModern English Biography (volume 1 of 4) A-H(2018) Hill began his career in New York in 1868. Upon his return ...

*Lutin –

;Mortal Counterparts *

The Right Honourable ''The Right Honourable'' ( abbreviation: ''Rt Hon.'' or variations) is an honorific style traditionally applied to certain persons and collective bodies in the United Kingdom, the former British Empire and the Commonwealth of Nations. The term is ...

Mr. G. – Walter H. Fisher *The Right Honourable Mr. L. – W. J. Hill *The Right Honourable

Mr. A. Mr. A is a fictional comic book hero created by Steve Ditko. Unlike most of Ditko's work, the character of Mr. A creator ownership in comics, remained the property of Ditko, who wrote and illustrated the stories in which the character appeared en ...

– Edward Righton ;Female Fairies *Selene –

Helen Barry Helen Barry (born Elizabeth Short, 5 January 1840 – 20 July 1904) was an English actress. She began her acting career at age 32 after her first marriage dissolved. She performed leading roles in West End theatres in the 1870s in comedy, dram ...

*Zayda –

Lottie Venne Lottie Venne (28 May 1852 – 16 July 1928) was a British comedian, actress and singer of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, who enjoyed a theatre career spanning five decades. Venne began her stage career in musical burlesque before moving into ...

*Darine – Bella Moore *Neodie – R. Clair *Locrine – G. Clair *Leila – L. Henderson

Synopsis

;Act I The fairies live in a lavish and art-filled Fairyland, floating on a cloud overlooking the mortal world. Three male fairies, Ethais, Phylion and Lutin, relate to the female fairies their "detestation" at their experiences below, in the "wicked" world. However, they note the conveniences of Victorian civilisation. The female fairies suspect that the males may not hate the mortal world as much as they say, and complain of the dullness of life in Fairyland, and long to experience that wonderful, wicked world. Selene, the Fairy Queen, expresses a determination to go to Earth. The three males resist this and instead agree to return to the world themselves and ask the Fairy King (who is in England studying "political economy", also known as "spending a pound to save a penny") to send three mortals up to Fairyland, so that the fairies may find out what men are really like. While the female fairies wait for the three mortals, Selene explains why England has an advantage over other countries: it enjoys a "popular government". The three mortal statesmen arrive – Mr. G., Mr. L. and Mr. A – declaring, "Oh, we are three most popular men! We want to know who'll turn us out!" At first, Fairyland is not to their liking, as it is decorated with "ridiculous extravagance", but they change their minds as soon as they find themselves surrounded by the female fairies. The women are charmed by the mortals' oratorical virtuosity. At the fairies' request, they explain how "popular government" works. The fairies decide to introduce popular government into Fairyland. The fairies are divided into Government and Opposition, and the members of the Opposition are sent away grumbling. Then, ministerial posts are allocated after a competitive examination in which those who show that they are the least fitted for the particular duties are appointed to fill them. For example, the fairy who asks what a ship may be is appointed First Lord of the Admiralty. All the fairies want to be Prime Minister, but, following precedent, Selene is so appointed. ;Act II The fairies' experiment in "popular government" is a disaster. Penny-pinching and shabbiness rule the state, the military is in disarray, and the Chinese may soon invade. Leila and the other Opposition fairies revolt, and all the Government ministers resign. Selene appeals to Mr. A., who suggests that "patriotism is the ladder by which the rising statesman ascends to the pinnacle of place," and "place is the pinnacle seated upon which the risen statesman kicks away the ladder of patriotism." Selene replies, "Sisters, I've done with office, give me a peerage and let me end my days in respectability and peace." Mr. G. advises that even in this situation, she should not consider resigning or apologising; but Selene ultimately rejects this, although she has feelings for Mr. G. The three mortal honourables return to earth, as they must attend a cabinet meeting. When the fairies realise that the mortals were corrupt, they exclaim, "How shabby!" Soon the three male fairies return with news from the Fairy King: they may enjoy the privilege of "popular government." Selene rejects this with horror. The fairies will "Leave such blessings to a happy land."

Musical numbers

;Act I *Opening Duo and Chorus (Zayda, Darine and Chorus) – "Lullaby Fairyland" *Trio (Ethais, Phyllon and Lutin) – "We are three unhappy fairies" *Quintette and Chorus (Zayda, Darine, Ethais, Phyllon and Lutin) – "Send us up from yonder wicked den" *Trio (Mr. G., Mr. L., Mr. A.) – "We are three statesmen old and tried" *Finale – "By playing loose and fast" ; Act II *Ensemble – "When every single art you've tried" *Finale – "Our little feet we never show"

Antecedents and development of Gilbertian satire

Gilbert created several blank verse "fairy comedies" at the

Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foote ...

in the early 1870s beginning with ''

The Palace of Truth ''The Palace of Truth'' is a three-act blank verse "Fairy Comedy" by W. S. Gilbert first produced at the Haymarket Theatre in London on 19 November 1870, adapted in significant part from Madame de Genlis's fairy story, ''Le Palais de Vérite''. ...

'' (1870) and ''

Pygmalion and Galatea Pygmalion and Galatea are two characters from Greco-Roman mythology. Pygmalion and Galatea may also refer to: * ''Pygmalion and Galatea'' (play), a play by W. S. Gilbert * '' Pygmalion and the Image series'', a series of paintings by Edward Burne- ...

'' (1871). ''The Wicked World'' was the third of these, and ''The Happy Land'' followed so soon on its heels that the two plays ran simultaneously. The plot of ''The Happy Land'' and ''The Wicked World'' clearly fascinated Gilbert. Not only had he written a short story on the theme in 1871, but he returned to it in his 1909

comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...

, ''

Fallen Fairies ''Fallen Fairies''; ''or, The Wicked World'', is a two-act comic opera, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Edward German. The story is an operatic adaptation of Gilbert's 1873 blank-verse fairy comedy, ''The Wicked World''. In Fairylan ...

''. Indeed, the general theme of mortals disturbing the peaceful state of affairs in fairyland is featured in a number of other Gilbert works, including the

opera ''

'' (1882). Gilbert followed ''The Happy Land'' with '' The Realm of Joy'', set in the lobby of a theatre performing a thinly-disguised ''The Happy Land'', which directly parodies the scandal, even describing the costumes used. In ''The Happy Land'', ''The Realm of Joy'' (1873) and ''

Charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * Ch ...

'' (1874), Gilbert stretched the boundaries of how far social commentary could go in the Victorian theatre. ''The Realm of Joy'' poked many jokes at the Lord Chamberlain. ''Charity'' critiqued the contrasting ways in which Victorian society treated men and women who had sex outside of marriage, which anticipated the 'problem plays' of

Shaw Shaw may refer to: Places Australia *Shaw, Queensland Canada *Shaw Street, a street in Toronto England *Shaw, Berkshire, a village *Shaw, Greater Manchester, a location in the parish of Shaw and Crompton *Shaw, Swindon, a List of United Kingdom ...

and

Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

. ''The Happy Land'' is an example of Gilbert's "repeated ridicule of idealistic panaceas for curing social ills mong which wasGilbert's conception of popular government as an imprac- tical theory. In the

operas Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libretti ...

these schemes range from the notion that "true love sthe source of every earthly joy," in ''

The Sorcerer ''The Sorcerer'' is a two-act comic opera, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. It was the British duo's third operatic collaboration. The plot of ''The Sorcerer'' is based on a Christmas story, ''An Elixir of Lo ...

''; through the prescription of "Republican

quality Quality may refer to: Concepts *Quality (business), the ''non-inferiority'' or ''superiority'' of something *Quality (philosophy), an attribute or a property *Quality (physics), in response theory *Energy quality, used in various science discipli ...

as a remedy for social ills in ''

The Gondoliers ''The Gondoliers; or, The King of Barataria'' is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 7 December 1889 and ran for a very successful 554 performances (at that time the ...

''; to the systematic plan for political and social reforms brought from England by the Flowers of Progress for the benefit, and ultimate corruption, of the south sea island kingdom of Utopia in ''

Utopia Limited ''Utopia, Limited; or, The Flowers of Progress'', is a Savoy opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was the second-to-last of Gilbert and Sullivan's fourteen collaborations, premiering on 7 October 1893 for a ...

''" and its salvation through the institution of party politics.Lawrence, p. 180–82

Notes

References

* Gilbert, W. S., ''The Realm of Joy'', ed. Terence Rees, 1969, self-published, Nightingale Square, London. * *Lawrence, Elwood P., "''The Happy Land'': W. S. Gilbert as Political Satirist", ''Victorian Studies'', Vol. 15, No. 2 (December 1971), Indiana University Press, pp. 161–83

External links

''The Happy Land''
at ''The Gilbert and Sullivan Archive''.

Kelly, Veronica (1983). "The Banning of Marcus Clarke's 'The Happy Land': Stage, Press and Parliament"
Article about Clarke's 1882 adaptation of ''The Happy Land'' in ''Australasian Drama Studies'', 2 (1), 71–111. {{DEFAULTSORT:Happy Land, The Works by W. S. Gilbert 1873 plays