Utopia Limited: Or The Flowers of Progress

Utopia Limited (or The Flowers of Progress), is the second-to-last of Gilbert and Sullivan's fourteen collaborations. Gilbert's libretto satirises limited liability companies, and particularly the idea that a bankrupt company could leave creditors unpaid without any liability to its owners. The subject-matter and characters, including the specific government offices, are obscure for modern audiences, although its themes of corporatisation of public institutions and scandal in the British Royal family remain relevant.