Robin Oakapple, a young farmer.
Richard Dauntless, his foster brother and man-o'-war's man.
Sir Despard Murgatroyd, the wicked Baronet.
Old Adam Goodheart, Robin's faithful servant.
Rose Maybud, a village maiden.
Mad Margaret.
Dame Hannah, Rose's aunt.
Zorah, }
Ruth, } professional bridesmaids.
Six Murgatroyd Ghosts.
Sir Roderic Murgatroyd, twenty-first Baronet.
[Officers, ancestors, and professional bridesmaids.]
The scene is laid in Cornwall; time, early in the last century.
Although "Ruddygore," a satire upon the old English melodramas, has not
been as successful as some of the other Sullivan operas, it is as
entertaining as any in the series, while the story, with its grotesque
dramatic features, is peculiarly Gilbertian in its humor. The first act
opens in Cornwall. Sir Rupert Murgatroyd, the first of the baronets,
employed his leisure in persecuting witches and committing other crimes.
The chorus of "the legend," sung by Hannah, an old spinster, prophesies
that each Murgatroyd will die "with sinning cloyed." To avoid this fate,
the last inheritor of the title, Sir Ruthven, secludes himself under the
name of Robin Oakapple, in the Cornish village of Rederring, and his
younger brother, Despard, believing him to be dead, succeeds to the
title. Robin, who is shy and modest, is in love with Rose, a foundling,
who is very discreet. The love-making lags, and meanwhile Richard, his
foster brother, a man-o'-war's man, returns from sea, and so commiserates
Robin that he offers to plead his case with Rose. Instead of that he
pleads his own case, and is accepted by her, much to the disappointment
of Robin, who supports Richard's claim, however. Robin's younger brother,
Sir Despard, next appears, and hears from Richard of the existence of the
brother whom he had thought dead. He thereupon claims Robin as his elder
brother, and Rose shows her preference for Sir Despard, who is also
claimed by Mad Margaret, a village maiden, whom he had mistreated when he
was under the influence of the Murgatroyd curse.
The second act opens in the picture gallery of Ruddygore Castle. Robin
and Adam, his faithful servant, are in the gallery, the former as Sir
Ruthven, and Adam as Gideon Crawle, a new name he has taken. The new Sir
Ruthven is under the curse, and asks his servant to suggest some daily
crime for him to commit. The strong scene of the act is the coming to
life of the various baronets whose portraits hang upon the walls, and
their announcement that Robin will die in fearful agony unless he abducts
some lady, it matters not whom. In the dénouement it is revealed that a
Ruddygore baron can only die through refusing to commit the daily crime,
but that such a refusal is tantamount to suicide. Hence none of the
ancestors ought to have died at all, and they come back to life greatly
to the delight of the professional bridesmaids, and Rose and Robin are at
last united.
The principal numbers in the first act are the weird legend, "Sir Rupert
Murgatroyd, his Leisure and his Riches," sung by Hannah; Richard's breezy
sea song, "I shipped, d' ye see, in a Revenue Sloop"; the very tuneful
chorus of the bridesmaids, "Hail the Bridegroom, hail the Bride"; Mad
Margaret's whimsical song, "Cheerily carols the Lark"; the melodious
chorus of the bucks and blades, "When thoroughly tired of being admired";
Sir Despard's song, with its alternating choral refrains, "Oh, why am I
moody and sad"; the madrigal, "Where the Buds are blossoming," written in
the early English style, and supported by the chorus; and the charming
gavotte leading to the finale, which contains some admirable duet and
trio numbers. The leading numbers of the second act are the opening duet
for Robin and Adam, "I once was as meek as a New-born Lamb," with a most
melodramatic "Ha ha," followed by another charming duet for Richard and
Rose, with choral refrain, "Happily coupled are we"; the weird song of
Sir Roderic, "When the Night Wind howls in the Chimney Cowls," which is
finely artistic in construction; the patter trio for Robin, Despard, and
Margaret, "My Eyes are fully open to my Awful Situation"; Hannah's pretty
ballad, "There grew a Little Flower"; and the brilliant finale, beginning
with Robin's number, "Having been a Wicked Baronet a Week."
The Yeoman of the Guard; or, The Merry Man and his Maid.
[Comic opera, in two acts; text by Gilbert. First produced at the Savoy
Theatre, October 3, 1888.]