Creatures of Impulse is a short story by English dramatist W. S. Gilbert, which he later adapted for the stage with music by composer-conductor Alberto Randegger. Both the short story and the play concern an unwanted and ill-tempered old fairy who enchants people to behave in a manner opposite their natures, with farcical results. The short story was written for The Graphic's Christmas number of 1870, and the play was first produced at the Court Theatre on 2 April 1871. It originally included six songs, but three were eventually cut, and some productions dispensed with the music entirely. While the lyrics survive, the music was never published and is lost. Reviews of the play were mostly positive, though it was criticised for the lack of a significant plot or superstructure to support its comic premise. Nonetheless, reviewers found it enjoyable, and it was a modest success, running for 91 performances and enjoying revivals into the early part of the 20th century. Gilbert had already written a considerable body of stories, plays, poems, criticism and other works before writing Creatures of Impulse and would go on to write the libretti to the famous Savoy operas (composed by Arthur Sullivan) between 1871 and 1896.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creatures_of_Impulse

_________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1147:

Reconquista: Forces under King Afonso I of Portugal captured Lisbon from the Moors after a four-month siege in what would be one of their only successes during the Second Crusade. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Lisbon)

1616:

The Dutch sailing ship Eendracht reached Shark Bay on the western coastline of Australia, as documented on the Hartog Plate etched by explorer Dirk Hartog. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eendracht_(1615_ship)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eendracht_%281615_ship%29 )

1854:

Charge of the Light Brigade: Lord Cardigan led his cavalry to disaster in the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charge_of_the_Light_Brigade)

1922:

The Third Dáil adopted the Constitution of the Irish Free State, based on the requirements of the Anglo-Irish Treaty establishing the first independent Irish state to be recognised by the British. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_the_Irish_Free_State)

1971:

The UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758, replacing the Republic of China with the People's Republic of China as China's representative at the United Nations. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_and_the_United_Nations)

________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

zoinks: (interj) Expressing surprise, fear, etc. (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/zoinks)

_________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

We ought to hate very rarely, as it is too fatiguing; remain indifferent to a great deal, forgive often and never forget. --Sarah Bernhardt (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sarah_Bernhardt)