Trial by Jury & The Zoo

Trial by Jury & The Zoo London Tickets

A wildly entertaining double bill of comic opera chaos, bringing together Gilbert & Sullivan’s well-known wit, absurd storytelling and irresistible melodies. From romantic mix-ups and secret identities to courtroom drama spiralling into joyful nonsense, this is operetta at its most playful and unpredictable.

Directed by John Savournin, this ENO revival pairs two of Sullivan’s earliest comic successes in a rare staging that highlights the beginnings of a legendary operatic partnership. Book tickets for Trial by Jury & The Zoo at the London Coliseum in 2027 and experience a riotous world of love, law and laughter.

About Trial by Jury & The Zoo

In The Zoo, a young couple’s romance is thrown into chaos by mistaken identities, secret marriages and escalating misunderstandings that somehow still end in engagement. The story continues in Trial by Jury, where Angelina takes her former fiancé Edwin to court for breach of promise. What follows is a comedic courtroom spiral of accusations, charm and unexpected rulings from a romantically biased judge.

It’s worth the applause

• A rare ENO pairing of two early Gilbert & Sullivan comic operettas
• Directed by ENO favourite John Savournin with a playful 1980s-inspired staging
• Olivier Award winner Peter Whelan conducts a cast led by Mary Bevan and Robert Murray

Trial by Jury & The Zoo Cast

• Angelina / Eliza Smith: Mary Bevan
• Edwin: Robert Murray
• The Learned Judge: Neal Davies
• Usher: Alaric Green
• Eliza Smith: Madeleine Shaw

Trial by Jury & The Zoo Creatives

• Music: Arthur Sullivan
• Libretto: W. S. Gilbert (Trial by Jury) / Bolton Rowe (The Zoo)
• Director: John Savournin
• Conductor: Peter Whelan