ersatz Pluto is too tenderhearted to let anyone die. Daphne, who plays the muse Calliope, comes to Thespis and claims, based on a bowdlerised edition of the Greek myths, that Calliope was married to Apollo. She points out that Apollo, played by Sparkeion, is the brother of Diana (played by Sparkeion's wife, Nicemis). Thespis decides that Sparkeion is married to Daphne while they are gods, but his marriage to Nicemis will resume when they are mortals once again. When the gods return, they are furious and tell Thespis that he has "deranged the whole scheme of society". Thespis says that they should calm down, as the list of mortals' complaints is about to be read. The gods watch incognito as Mercury presents the complaints: The actors have ruined the weather; caused strife among the nations; and there is no wine, since Bacchus is a teetotaller. After listening to these grievances, the gods angrily shed their disguises. The actors beg to stay on Olympus, but Jupiter punishes them for their folly by sending them back to earth cursed as "eminent tragedians, whom no one ever goes to see". Roles and original cast Gods Jupiter, Aged Deity – John Maclean Apollo, Aged Deity – Fred Sullivan Mars, Aged Deity – Frank Wood Diana, Aged Deity – Mrs. Henry Leigh Venus, Aged Deity – (Miss Jolly) Mercury – Ellen "Nellie" Farren Thespians Thespis, Manager of a Travelling Theatrical Co. – J. L. Toole Sillimon, his Stage Manager – J. G. Taylor Timidon – Mr. Marshall Tipseion – Robert Soutar (Nellie Farren's husband) Preposteros – Harry Payne Stupidas – Fred Payne Sparkeion – Mlle. Clary (Real name: Jeanne-Marie-Madeleine-Poirel) Nicemis – Constance Loseby Pretteia – Rose Berend Daphne – Annie Tremaine Cymon – Miss L. Wilson Principal dancers: Mlle. Esta, Misses Lizzie Wright and Smithers Chorus of aged deities and thespians; Gaiety Corps de Ballet The first performance was conducted by Arthur Sullivan. Subsequent performances were conducted by Meyer Lutz, the theatre's musical director. In addition to playing Tipseion, the theatre's stage manager, Robert Soutar, stage managed the piece. The Ballet Master was W. H. Payne Background Genesis Impresario and author John Hollingshead, the lessee of London's Gaiety Theatre since 1868, had produced a number of successful musical burlesques and operettas there. Indeed, Hollingshead "boasted that he kept alight 'the sacred lamp of burlesque.'" Gilbert and Sullivan were each well acquainted with the Gaiety and