''Polly'' is a

ballad opera The ballad opera is a genre of England, English ''comic opera'' stage play that originated in the early 18th century, and continued to develop over the following century and later. Like the earlier ''comédie en vaudeville'' and the later ''Sings ...

with text by

John Gay John Gay (30 June 1685 – 4 December 1732) was an English poet and dramatist and member of the Scriblerus Club. He is best remembered for ''The Beggar's Opera'' (1728), a ballad opera. The characters, including Captain Macheath and Polly Peach ...

and music by Johann Christoph Pepusch. It is a sequel to Gay's ''

The Beggar's Opera ''The Beggar's Opera'' is a ballad opera in three acts written in 1728 by John Gay with music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch. It is one of the watershed plays in Augustan drama and is the only example of the once thriving genre of sati ...

''. Due to censorship, the opera was not performed in Gay's lifetime. It had its world premiere on 19 June 1777 at the

Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre in Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in ...

in London. A revised and edited version of the text and score by Clifford Bax and Frederic Austin, respectively, premiered on 30 December 1922 at the Kingsway Theatre in London.Gay, John: ''Polly''
at

Boosey & Hawkes Boosey & Hawkes is a British Music publisher (sheet music), music publisher, purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass instrument, brass, string instru ...

Plot

The opera relates the adventures of Polly Peachum in the West Indies. Macheath is transported to the West Indies, and becomes a pirate, disguised as a black man and under the pseudonym of 'Morano'. He is in the company of Jenny Diver, the prostitute from the first play who had betrayed him—so Macheath is living bigamously. Polly goes to the West Indies looking for Macheath. Mrs Trapes (also from 'The Beggar's Opera') has set up in white-slaving and shanghais Polly to sell her to the wealthy planter Mr Ducat. Polly is taken into service in the Ducat household. On hearing Polly's story, Mrs Ducat advises her to disguise herself as a young man, to ward off unwelcome male attention. After skirmishes between the Indians (in alliance with the colonials) and the pirates, the pirates are routed and identities are revealed. The play ends with Macheath being executed on the orders of the Indian King Pohetohee, and Polly marrying his son Cawwawkee, after her period of mourning.

Background

Like its predecessor, ''Polly'' was censored during its time. The production was forbidden by the Lord Chamberlain ( the Duke of Grafton), probably through Walpole's influence. However, the censorship did not affect Gay much – on the contrary, it proved to be excellent advertisement. The play was published by subscription in 1729, and Gay earned several thousand pounds. In fact, the Duchess of Queensberry was dismissed from court for enlisting subscribers in the palace. The

Duke of Queensberry The title Duke of Queensberry was created in the Peerage of Scotland on 3 February 1684 along with the subsidiary title Marquess of Dumfriesshire for the William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry, 1st Marquess of Queensberry. The Dukedom was he ...

gave Gay a home, and Gay received affectionate patronage until his death on 4 December 1732. The play was not produced on stage during Gay's lifetime, as Walpole found the satire in ''Polly'' much more blatant and strong than the first play. It was banned from rehearsal by the

Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom, Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Monarchy of the United Ki ...

for being a filthy and libellous work. However, since ''Polly'' followed close on the heels of its predecessor, it was probably not so much the subject matter, rather the fact that it was a play by Gay that caused it to be banned. Its stage premiere took place on 19 June 1777 at the

, London. However, the ban was effective only in name, as the play was not only printed and sold in April 1729, but in June of the same year, Gay and his publisher had injunctions brought against 17 printers and booksellers for piracy of the work.

Adaptations

In 1922, Clifford Bax wrote an adaptation of ''Polly,'' abridging the text; extending certain scenes while removing others; cutting characters; and adding a happy ending, in which Jenny couples with a pirate, Vanderbluff, and Polly and Macheath wed (again). In 2017, Sharpteeth Theater adapted ''Polly'' as ''Polly: The Heartbreak Opera.''

References

{{John Gay Operas 1729 operas English-language operas Ballad operas Works by John Gay Operas by Johann Christoph Pepusch Satirical plays Censored plays Cultural depictions of pirates Caribbean in fiction Plays set on islands Works about slavery Fiction about piracy