The Wicked World The Wicked World The Wicked World is a blank verse play by W. S. Gilbert in three acts. It opened at the Haymarket Theatre on 1873 and ran for a successful 145 performances, closing on 1873. The play is an allegory loosely based on a short illustrated story of the same title by Gilbert, written in 1871 and published in Tom Hood's "Comic Annual", about how pure fairies cope with a sudden introduction to them of "mortal love." Set in "Fairy Land", the action occurs within the space of 24 hours. Gilbert envisioned the set as resembling John Martin's 1853
Galatea, or Pygmalion Reversed restored. "The Era" was not impressed, calling the piece, "A very tame affair. Mr Stephens seems to have had a funny idea, but has not funnily put it into shape." Other papers took a more favourable view. "The Morning Post" called it "this amusing burlesque". "The Standard" thought that although the plot "lacks both interest and variety", Edward Terry was "convulsively funny" as Pygmalion." Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper" wrote, "The burlesque is not remarkable for its jokes, though they are plentiful. It affords opportunity for a good laugh and is a capital skit on the original." Galatea, or Pygmalion Reversed Galatea,