A wildly ridiculous romance

One doomed engagement. Two brilliantly matched comic operas.

Trial by Jury & The Zoo come together in this wildly entertaining pairing. Acting as the prequel and sequel to the same ill‑fated love story, these rarely performed works are full of wit, absurdity and unexpected twists.

Directed by John Savournin, enjoy a rare glimpse of Sullivan’s early work alongside the first success of one of opera’s most legendary partnerships.

Book your tickets for Trial by Jury & The Zoo live at the London Coliseum in 2027.

Overview

The course of true love never did run smooth. Especially in Sullivan’s The Zoo, where we meet a pair of young lovers who, despite hidden identities, secret marriages and mischievous mix-ups, manage to become engaged.

But the story doesn’t end there. In this hilarious pairing of the two operettas, we then head to the courtroom for Trial by Jury, where Angelina is suing former fiancé Edwin for breach of promise. Cue chaos, joyous absurdity and an unexpected twist – courtesy of a romantically-inclined judge.

Staging and score

Paired alongside Gilbert & Sullivan‘s Trial by Jury in a 2025 production from Scottish Opera is Sullivan’s The Zoo with words by Bolton Rowe in a new production performed for the first time at ENO. These two one-act operettas are directed by ENO favourite and G&S specialist John Savournin who brings his iconic flair and a 1980s vibe.

Although early works, the music of both pieces is already quintessential Sullivan – light, witty and melodically brilliant. Both librettos come with a healthy dose of the ridiculous spiced with a light sprinkling of social satire.

Singers and creatives

Olivier Award winner Peter Whelan conducts both pieces.

G&S veterans Mary Bevan and Robert Murray lead both operas as our turbulent love-birds Angelina and Edwin. They are joined by an outstanding ensemble including Neal Davies as The Learned Judge, following his critically acclaimed performance as Sir Joseph in HMS Pinafore (2025-2026), former Harewood Artist Madeleine Shaw sings Eliza Smith and Harewood Artist Alaric Green performs as the Usher.