( William Schwenk Gilbert 1836–1911)
an English writer of comedy plays and the words for comic operas. He is best known for the comic operas he wrote with Arthur Sullivan , which show his skill at writing humorous songs and making fun of British life and politics. Gilbert and Sullivan wrote 14 popular comic operas (sometimes called the Savoy Operas ), including The Mikado and The Pirates of Penzance . They are still performed regularly in Britain and are a popular choice by amateur groups. See also Leigh .