English humorist and dramatist. He collaborated with composer Arthur
Sullivan, providing the libretti for their series of light comic operas from 1871 performed by the
D'Oyly Carte Opera Company; they include
HMS Pinafore (1878),
The Pirates of Penzance (1879), and
The Mikado (1885).
Born in London, Gilbert became a lawyer in 1863, but in 1869 he published a collection of his humorous verse and drawings,
Bab Ballads, which was followed by a second volume in 1873. He was knighted in 1907.
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