Trial by Jury Videos
Introduction Guide
Read our guide to Gilbert & Sullivan’s Trial by Jury including details about the story, the history and more about ENO’s production.
Synopsis of Trial by Jury
The Jury arrive as the hour of ten is sounding, ready to try a case of breach of promise. The Usher advises the Jury that they must try this case without bias of any kind. However, when the Defendant appears, he is greeted with pure hatred by the assembled court – jury and all. The Defendant explains that she simply got bored of the Plaintiff, and so he became “another’s love-sick boy.” The male members of the Jury admit that once they were like him – regular cads – but now they’re respectable and have no sympathy with the Defendant.
The Usher orders silence at the Judge arrives. He offers his life story to the assembled court, explaining that he became a Judge through marrying a rich attorney’s daughter, who he then “threw over” – not unlike the Defendant…
The Usher swears in the Jury and summons the Plaintiff. A chorus of Bridesmaids enter as her escort, and the Plaintiff is greeted with great admiration by the court – including the Judge. The Counsel for the Plaintiff makes his appeal to the Jury telling how the Defendant treated her so badly.
The Plaintiff reels as if to faint and falls sobbing on the Foreman, but the Judge invites her to lean on him instead. Edwin attempts to defend himself, and offers to marry her today, as long as he can marry someone else tomorrow. This seems reasonable to the Judge, but the Counsel, on referring to his law book, finds that to marry two wives at a time is a serious offence – a nice dilemma has presented itself…
The Plaintiff cries that she loves him, and proves her loss to the Jury. The Defendant counters by saying that he is a bad lot, that she couldn’t endure him very long and that the Jury should remember this when assessing the damages he must pay.
The Judge suggests that they make the Defendant “tipsy” and see if his assertions be true. But, quite rightly, to this proposition, all save the Defendant object. The Judge’s temper is tried, for he is in a hurry to get away, and he settles the case quickly by declaring that he’ll marry her… himself!
Plot summary from the book “The Victor Book of the Opera,” RCA Manufacturing Co., Camden, NJ, 1936, edited by John Savournin.
Trial by Jury FAQs
The story of the opera Trial by Jury is set in a courtroom. Angelina aims to sue her former fiancé, Edwin. He left her at the altar and she wants compensation for a breach of promise. Angelina, still in her wedding dress is accompanied by her bridesmaids, also still in their finery. The Judge and Jury proceed to hear the story of the relationship and decide what should happen to Angelina and Edwin.
The opera Trial by Jury was written by the Victorian operatic duo Gilbert & Sullivan and premiered in London in 1875. W.S. Gilbert wrote the lyrics with the music composed by Sir Arthur Sullivan. It was their first big success together.
Gilbert & Sullivan’s Trial by Jury is a one-act opera that is approximately 40mins. In ENO’s 2027 production of the opera, Trial by Jury will be paired with Arthur Sullivan’s The Zoo.
The evening will begin with 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 in the 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.
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An Introduction to Trial by Jury
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