Gilbert, William Schwenck (EN)

Gilbert, Sir William Schwenck, *18 November 1836 London, †29 May 1911 Harrow Weald, English playwright and librettist. A lawyer by profession, he devoted himself exclusively to stage writing. He wrote comedies, verse dramas, parodies, pantomimes, and stage jokes; as a librettist, he collaborated primarily with A. Sullivan.

Gilbert and Sullivan created a unique, burlesque English operetta, full of allusions, satire, comedy, and sometimes nonsense. Their works are still performed today at the Savoy musical theater in London (the so-called Savoy Operas), which specializes in this type of repertoire. Gilbert’s stage plays have been forgotten.