description Robert the Devil Overview
Robert the Devil, or The Nun, the Dun, and the Son of a Gun, is a Victorian burlesque by W. S. Gilbert, first performed in 1868. The work parodies the opera Robert le Diable and related medieval legends concerning Robert, Duke of Normandy.
It belongs to the nineteenth-century theatrical burlesque tradition, which used comic adaptation, parody, and musical or literary allusion.
help Robert the Devil FAQ
What is Robert the Devil by W. S. Gilbert?
Robert the Devil is a Victorian burlesque by W. S. Gilbert, first performed in 1868. Its full title is Robert the Devil, or The Nun, the Dun, and the Son of a Gun.
Which opera does Robert the Devil parody?
The burlesque parodies Giacomo Meyerbeer’s opera Robert le Diable. Gilbert also draws on medieval stories about Robert, Duke of Normandy.
Is Robert the Devil the same work as Meyerbeer’s Robert le Diable?
No. Gilbert’s 1868 piece is a comic Victorian burlesque, while Robert le Diable is Meyerbeer’s serious grand opera. The two works share the Robert legend and title idea.
What kind of theatre work is Robert the Devil?
It is a nineteenth-century burlesque, a comic form that reworked well-known stories and operas. Gilbert uses parody, wordplay, and theatrical exaggeration rather than presenting the medieval material seriously.
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