AustLit

Loosely falling between the genres of musical comedy, extravaganza and burlesque, Kodadad is described in the 1886 published text as having been 'freely translated from the Arabian Nights' entertainments, embellished in every possible way and done into extremely free and easy verse'. The story concerns the son of the Sultan of Diabekir, heir to an Arabian Nights-style kingdom, who is banished to New South Wales as a squatter in order to acquire colonial experience. His incompetence as a farmer sees him treated as a 'new chum' by the locals, and he struggles to endure the hardships of both the work and the environment. Just as he's decided that he can't take any more, the prince receives word that his father has repented the severity of sending him to such a primitive part of the world and calls him home. Upon his return to the court, Kodadad quickly forgets all about his experiences, except in a moment of nostalgia when he tries to convince Lula, a Persian princess, to immigrate with him back to Australia. Lula refuses, however, because she's heard about the Australian insects.

The songs mostly comprised airs from the operas Faust, Lucrezia Borgia, and Lucia di Lammermoor and from popular songs of the day, with the lyrics rewritten. They included 'The Sultan's Polka' (chorus), 'The Cachuca' ( trio), 'Good-bye, Sweetheart, Good-bye', 'Soldier's Chorus' (from Faust), 'My Own, My Guiding Star' (duet), 'Pen and Ink Polka' (duet and chorus), 'Ama Tua Madre' (from Lucrezia Borgia), 'Lily Lye' (ballad), 'The Stockman's Grave' (duet), and the 'Great Eastern Polka' (chorus).