The Realm of Joy is set in the lobby of a theatre where a politically scandalous play, "The Realm of Joy" is being performed – a clear reference to Gilbert's play from the same year, The Happy Land (1873), which was still running on the first night of this piece.
The Realm of Joy takes place in the theatre lobby where a controversial play titled "The Realm of Joy" is staged—a clear nod to Gilbert’s 1873 work, The Happy Land, which was also playing its first performance that evening.