The Forty Thieves

1880 Musical 

By Robert Reece

“The Forty Thieves” premiered in 1880 at London’s renowned Gaiety Theatre. Known for its lively satire and elaborate staging, “The Forty Thieves” was a hallmark of the burlesque genre, a popular form of entertainment that thrived during the Victorian era. Burlesques like *The Forty Thieves* were often humorous parodies of classical tales, myths, or operatic narratives, exaggerated to entertain and delight audiences with humor, wit, and irony.

Robert Reece, already an established writer of comic drama, imbued “The Forty Thieves” with his characteristic cleverness, spoofing the well-known tale from “One Thousand and One Nights.” True to burlesque style, Reece reimagined the tale in a lighthearted, slapstick manner, punctuated with contemporary references and jokes aimed at Victorian society and politics. The script was peppered with puns, quips, and playful anachronisms, which connected with the Gaiety’s audience and made the story accessible and engaging.

The musical featured a blend of spoken dialogue, popular songs of the time, and dance sequences, aligning with the burlesque tradition of mixing various forms to entertain a diverse audience. This characteristic approach to adaptation was typical of the Gaiety’s productions and was widely appreciated by audiences who enjoyed the witty reinterpretation of traditional stories.

ISBN   978-1515113874 

$12.95

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