The Sorcerer

Creation

Carte saw how popular Trial by Jury was, and approached Gilbert and Sullivan immediately about writing a two-act operetta. The date the new operetta would open was set for autumn of 1877.

Gilbert again borrowed from his Bab Ballads. He used his ballad “An Elixir of Love” for the basis of the new libretto called The Sorcerer. At that time, magic and love potions were popular in romantic operas. Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde, and Donzetti’s L’Elisir D’Amore were popular. Gilbert’s The Sorcerer was anti-romantic and made fun of English class distinction.

Sullivan was still sad over his brother’s death, and he found it hard to compose. He diligently worked on the music from April to November of that year. He finally finished the music in late November.

Carte, unlike most managers of the time, gave the two of them complete artistic freedom with the setting and staging of their works. Although this arrangement was good in the end, it led to some disagreements, especially about casting people. Gilbert, being the librettist, wanted the best actors/actresses for the parts. Sullivan, being the composer, wanted the best singers. Eventually they compromised.

There was one part that Gilbert and Sullivan agreed upon. That was the part of John Wellington Wells, the title role. They both agreed that the person who should play John Wellington Wells needed to have a lightning tongue, perfect diction, and a touch of the eccentric. Sullivan saw just the person at an amateur performance of Trial by Jury, playing the part of the Judge. His name was George Grossmith. Sullivan felt that Gilbert should see Grossmith too before he was hired. Gilbert heard him in the performance as well, and approached him. Grossmith was surprised, but accepted. The Sorcerer opened November 7, 1877 at the Opera Comique.

Plot Synopsis

The Sorcerer take place the day Aline Sangazure is going to marry Alexis Pointdextre. While Alexis is waiting for his beloved betrothed, his father, Sir Marmaduke Pointdextre, tells him to be a little more discreet about how much he loves Aline. He adds that he once loved Lady Sangazure, Aline’s mother, but he was always very polite and proper.

Meanwhile, we meet Mrs. Partlet and her daughter Constance. Constance alone is not participating in the celebrations of the approaching marriage. She admits to her mother that she is in love, with Dr. Daly, the not-so-young town vicar. Unfortunately for her, Dr. Daly thinks he is too old to marry. Just then, Lady Sangazure and her daughter Aline arrive.

Alexis and Aline sign the marriage contract and then are left alone. Alexis thinks that the whole village should experience true love without class distinctions, and so he went to John Wellington Wells with Aline. John Wellington Wells is from an old established London sorcerer’s firm, and he promptly rattles off a list of his wares. Alexis asks Wells to put a love potion in the tea that the villagers will soon be drinking. Wells warns that anyone who drinks the potion becomes insensible for twelve hours. Then when they awake, they fall in love with the first person of the other gender they meet, and under the influence of the potion, the other loves them back. Of course, the potion doesn’t affect married couples. Aline is apprehensive about the potion, and she grows even more so after the harrowing incantation. The villagers come in, and drink the tea with the potion, then fall insensible upon the ground.

Act two opens at midnight. The villagers awake and fall hopelessly in love with each other, except Lady Sangazure, Sir Marmaduke Pointdextre, and Dr. Daly. Mr. Wells thought that it wasn’t seemly for these respectable people to be lying around in the open, so he restored them to their lodgings. Things are very mixed up. Young Constance falls in love with a ninety-year-old notary. Alexis still believes wholeheartedly in what he is doing, until his father walks in with Mrs. Partlet. He is also offended that Aline won’t drink the love potion so she would fall in love with him. She thinks their love should be not artificially induced.

Meanwhile, John Wellington Wells, who wandered away, despondent about the chaos he has set loose, runs into Lady Sangazure, who hadn’t met anyone yet. She falls in love him, but Wells doesn’t fall in love with her because he’s immune to his own spells. In order to get rid of her, he pretends that he is engaged. He decides that he must somehow right the spell.

Aline finally gives in to Alexis and drinks the potion alone. Then she goes to find him (whatever happened to this twelve-hour unconsciousness period? Oh well) but unfortunately runs into Dr. Daly, and they fall hopelessly in love. Alexis is very angry at Aline, but the vicar points out that it was Alexis who told her to drink the potion (and who told him that? Neither Aline nor Alexis.) Mr. Wells comes in followed by Lady Sangazure. He announces that there is only one way to lift the spell:

Wells: "Or you [Alexis] or I must yield up his life to Ahrimanes. I would rather it were you. I should have no hesitation in sacrificing my own life to spare yours, but we take stock next week, and it would not be fair on the Co.
Alexis: True. Well, I am ready!
Aline: No, no—Alexis—it must not be! Mr. Wells, if he must die that all may be restored to their old loves, what is to become of me?"

John Wellington Wells obligingly sinks into the floor in a bout of flames. Everyone is restored to their former loves and the villagers hold another feast.

Public Reception

The Sorcerer was a success. Grossmith too was a sensation. He was acclaimed by the magazine Punch to be the "the Sorcerestest Sorcerer that ever I did see or hear." The Sorcerer ran for 178 performances.