A romantic satire of love and pretension, Iolanthe (pronounced EYE-oh-LAN-thee, (while perhaps not as well known as other operettas in the G&S canon) offered some of Sullivan's most beautiful music and Gilbert's most witty lyrics.

As with all of the Gilbert and Sullivan works, Iolanthe sets sights on the workings of nineteenth century Britain, sinking its witty teeth into pretension in the arenas of love and politics. Iolanthe proves paticulary contemporary in addressing the foibles of both liberals and conservatives. Despite a fairy-tale cover, the real issues of the play are hypocrisy and undeserved privilege in government--topics as timely as today's headlines.

The play opened in an "Arcadian landscape" where a number of "dainty little fairies" engage in carefree singing and dancing. Their revels are marred by sorrow for their sister Iolanthe who has been banished for marrying a mortal. Pleading with their queen for Iolanthe's return, the fairies quickly win their sister's freedom. Overjoyed at her release Iolanthe reveals that the result of her "injudious" liaison is a son, the shepard Strephon, who being part mortal is only "fairy down the waistcoat".

Strephon introduced romance to the plot and from that point, the story gently glided from the sublime to the wildly improbably (in a G&S operetta? Go figure!) In his inimitable fashion, Gilbert's confection jumbles such outlandish parties as the British House of Lords, Arcadian shepards, and a swarm of fairies with attitude into a fantastic war of words, politics, and romance.