Christchurch Gilbert and Sullivan Society
	Thespis reconstructed

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Gilbert's libretto has survived and is readily available and includes all the usual Gilbertian twists, however the music, save "Climbing Over Rocky Mountain" which was later transcribed into The Pirates of Penzance and another - "Little Maid of Arcadee" which was printed as a solo song, is lost.

Many people believe, however, that most, if not all, the music was subsequently used by Sullivan in his other works. To that end a version was created here in England by Terence Rees and Garth Morton. Since that version a discovery of some original Sullivan manuscript a few years ago in America has led to a different and perhaps more accurate score and in 1992 Thespis was "realised" for a production in Toronto, Canada. It draws on music from Haddon Hall, L'Ile Enchante, The Thespis Ballet and The Rose of Persia to name but a few.

It is this production that we are staging and truly believe with what information is available to us now that it will be as near to the opening night's music of 1872 as we can hope to achieve.