A Comic Opera in Two Acts by William S. Gillbert and Aurthur S. Sullivan.

This book is a critical study of the dramatic works of W. S. Gilbert -- not only the famous libretti for other composers, but also his comedies and farces, his serious dramas, and his blank-verse plays. Aspects of his craft such as plot construction, lyric writing, and "stage management" (directing) are discussed. The bulk of the book explores the ideas and attitudes that are expressed in the plays, with particular attention to his concern with irony and inversion.