"You’ll need...
A handsome young couple whose voices are supple and charming, if just a bit sickly,
A chorus to prance through the same kind of dance, and do everything terribly quickly.
You’ll need...
A small skinny guy who’s amazingly spry with a voice like a vegetable gratah,
A tremendous old crone with a strange vocal tone like her mouth is all full of potatah.
These operas have got an identical plot, so the narrative doesn’t much matter,
But it’s great to poke fun at most everyone with your typical topical patter."
A handsome young couple whose voices are supple and charming, if just a bit sickly,
A chorus to prance through the same kind of dance, and do everything terribly quickly.
You’ll need...
A small skinny guy who’s amazingly spry with a voice like a vegetable gratah,
A tremendous old crone with a strange vocal tone like her mouth is all full of potatah.
These operas have got an identical plot, so the narrative doesn’t much matter,
But it’s great to poke fun at most everyone with your typical topical patter."
—Anna Russell, How To Write Your Own Gilbert and Sullivan Opera
