D'Oyly Carte Opera Company be released from the partnership on several occasions. Nevertheless, they coaxed eight comic operas out of Gilbert and Sullivan in the 1880s. When "Princess Ida" closed after a comparatively short run of nine months, for the first time in the partnership's history, the next opera was not ready. To make matters worse, Gilbert suggested a plot in which people fell in love against their wills after taking a magic lozenge – a scenario that Sullivan had previously rejected, and he now rejected the "lozenge plot" again. Gilbert eventually came up with a new idea and began work in May 1884.
National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company "Daily Mail" gave the company five stars. "The Northern Echo" reviewed the 2015 tour, stating: "This company is so polished, so well-versed in the eccentricities of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, with excellent singing voices coupled with clear diction ... and comedic skill. ... [A] tuneful, jolly, laugh-out-loud evening’s entertainment. "The Manchester Evening News" gave the company four out of five stars, admiring its musical and comic polish, dancing and "magnificent" chorus. In 2017, a reviewer praised the principals and chorus of the company's "Mikado" production, commenting: "This is giggle-making, girth-busting comic opera at it's very best. Sensational singing with sumptuous