This work was the first of the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta to be performed at the new Savoy Theatre, which was famous as being the first theatre to be fitted with the then new, 'electric light'.
The very first performance, however was at the Opéra Comique on April 23rd 1881. The next morning, two of the newspapers of that time had these contrasting comments in their reviews of the show:
"The dialogue is full of those flashes of wit and humour with which Mr Gilbert has long been accustomed to delight his audiences.
Mr Sullivan's music plays only a secondary part in the opera. He has done his work well and some of his music is admirable."
"The undoubted success of Patience is largely due to Mr Sullivan's music.
He must share the credit with the prevailing popular craze that all sensible people are bound to laugh at aestheticism."
Most people usually find plenty to laugh at in Patience and even though it doesn't contain many of the more popular songs, there are still plenty of good tunes to hum!
