Ib and Little Christina refers to two theatrical adaptations byBasil Hood of the 1855 fairy tale byHans Andersen of the same name: a play (1900) and an opera (1901).

The first version was a play subtitled "A Picture in 3 Parts", withincidental music byArthur Bruhns, first produced at thePrince of Wales Theatre, opening on 15 May 1900 and running for 60 performances. It starredMartin Harvey and the nine-year-oldPhyllis Dare.^[1] The piece transferred to theCoronet Theatre that summer.^[2] There was also aBroadway run in 1900.^[3] It was revived atTerry's Theatre in January 1903, playing for 16 performances, and again at Terry's in early 1904, for 31 more performances. The play was also revived at theAdelphi Theatre in September 1908, playing for seven performances.^[4]

Hood rewroteIb and Little Christina as anopera styled "A Picture in 3 Panels", with music byFranco Leoni. It was first produced byWilliam Greet at theSavoy Theatre on 14 November 1901 and ran together with Hood'sThe Willow Pattern for 16 performances, until the end of November.^[5] The libretto was published byChappell & Co., and a copy is in the British Library at 11778.f.23(4) (1901).

The Times described the piece as "an opera of ultra-modern type" and compared it unflatteringly to the work ofArthur Sullivan, who had died earlier in that year.^[6]The Manchester Guardian later said that "the music, though clever and attractive in many ways, was too realistic and too Southern to reflect the Northern symbolism of Andersen's story, and that its peculiar vein of passion was out of place."^[7] The piece was revived atDaly's Theatre from 11 to 13 January 1904, then transferred to theLyric Theatre from 19 January to 5 March 1904, running for a total of 23 matinee performances.^[8] The opera is not quite a full-length piece and is played in three short scenes.^[9]

Ib and his father are poor and live alone; Old Henrik and his granddaughter Christina are their neighbours. The two children are in love, and Ib is willing to sacrifice everything for her. An old gypsy woman visits Ib and grants him three wishes.

Fifteen years later, the children have grown up, and Christina is in love with John, a prosperous innkeeper. Broken‑hearted but faithful, Ib gives her up.

Seven years later, the marriage brought no happiness to Christina, who died in poverty. The gypsy woman brings Christina's daughter (also called Christina) to Ib, and they live happily together.

Source:The London Stage, 1900−1909,The Era, andThe Stage.^[10]

• Wearing, J. P. (1981).The London Stage, 1900–1909: A Calendar of Plays and Players. Metuchen: Scarecrow Press.ISBN 9780810814035.OCLC 1245534136.

• Libretto of the opera at the Gilbert and Sullivan Archive
• Translation of the Andersen fairy tale
• List ofSavoy opera companion pieces

• English-language operas
• English comic operas
• Operas
• 1901 operas
• Operas by Franco Leoni