Cox and Box had its first performance in 1866. It is a one-act comic opera with a libretto by F. C. Burnand and music by Arthur Sullivan, based on an 1847 farce Box and Cox by John Maddison Morton. It was Sullivan’s first successful comic opera, written five years before Thespis, his first opera with W. S. Gilbert.
Following its premiere, it was seen at various benefits in 1867 and presented professionally in 1869, when it ran for 264 performances.
In the 20th century, it was frequently produced by the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company as a curtain raiser for the shorter Gilbert and Sullivan operas.
The Merry Widow, Trial by Jury (150th anniversary production) and A Matter of Misconduct
Learn MoreOur recent double bill of Trial by Jury and A Matter of Misconduct are now available to view on Opera Vision globally
Learn MoreOur 2025 collaboration with Scottish Opera and Opera Holland Park - The Merry Widow by Franz Lehar, Trial by Jury by Gilbert and Sullivan, and A Matter of Misconduct by Toby Hession and Emma Jenkins
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