Alice B. Woodward's frontispiece to The Story of the Mikado (1921), W. S. Gilbert's last literary work: a posthumously published retelling of the plot of his comic opera The Mikado for children. The Mikado, set in a fictionalised Japan, opened on March 14, 1885, at the Savoy Theatre in London. The locale was chosen merely to provide a picturesque setting and to capitalise on the British fascination with Japan in the 1880s, allowing Gilbert to satirise British politics and institutions more freely by disguising them as Japanese. The Mikado became the most frequently performed Savoy opera, has been translated into numerous languages and is one of the most frequently played musical theatre pieces in history.Restoration: Adam Cuerden