Biography

Richard D'Oyly Carte was the manager of the Royalty Theatre in Soho, London. He was impressed by the work of Gilbert and Sullivan, and in 1875, he asked them to provide him with a curtain-raiser for Offenbach's "La Perichole". They wrote the one-act operetta "Trial by Jury", which soon became a big hit. He commissioned "The Sorcerer" in 1877, followed by "HMS Pinafore" a year later; following its success, he formed "Mr. D'Oyly Carte's Opera Company".

The success of Gilbert and Sullivan's subsequent operettas led to the construction of the Savoy Theatre.

Beginning in 1993, the repertoire was extended to include non-Gilbert and Sullivan works such as Offenbach's "Orpheus in the Underworld" and "La Vie Parisienne", and Strauss' "Die Fledermaus".

Due to rising costs, the Company was disbanded, and closed in 1982. Three years later, Richard D'Oyly Carte's grand-daughter Bridget died, leaving a legacy of 1 million pounds. Richard Condon was hired as General Manager, and secured generous sponsorship from Sir Michael Bishop and BMI British Midland Airways. In 1988, the company re-formed, presenting new productions of "Iolanthe" and "The Yeomen of the Guard".