Captain Billy is a one-act comic opera with a libretto by Harry Greenbank and music by François Cellier. It was first performed at the Savoy Theatre on 24 September 1891[1] until 16 January 1892, as a curtain raiser to The Nautch Girl, and from 1 February 1892 to 18 June 1892, as a curtain raiser to The Vicar of Bray, for a total of 217 performances.[2]
The first stage production with an orchestra for over 100 years was done in May 2007 by the Chapel End Savoy Players at the Deaton Theatre, Forest School, Snaresbrook, London as a curtain raiser for their production of The Pirates of Penzance.[3]
The vocal score was published by Chappells and is in the British Library. There is no printed libretto. A copy of the libretto was filed in the Lord Chamberlain's collection in January/February 1880. A recording of an abridged version was made by a Leicester (UK) G&S Society in the 1970s.[4] A recording (omitting the spoken dialogue) was issued by Dutton Epoch in 2020, together with Haddon Hall and Mr. Jericho,[5] The recording features the BBC Singers and BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by John Andrews.[6]
- ^ "Captain Billy", The Era, 26 September 1891, p. 11
- ^ Introduction and cast list for Captain Billy
- ^ Article about 2007 production
- ^ Article about a modern production of Captain Billy
- ^ "Arthur Sullivan, Haddon Hall & Ernest Ford, Mr Jericho & Francois Cellier, Captain Billy, Dutton Vocalion 2CDLX7372, March 2020
- ^ "On record: classical — April 5", The Times, 5 April 2020