--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No good play is a success; fine writing…" description: "\"No good play is a success; fine writing and high morals are useless on the stage. I have been scribbling twaddle for thirty-five years to suit the publ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c22/w-s-gilbert-8102_actor_no-good-play-is-a-success-fine-writing-a_2351928.jpg" --- # No good play is a success; fine writing and high morals… ![“No good play is a success; fine writing and high morals are useless on the stage. I have been scribbling twaddle for thirty-five years to suit the public taste, and I should know.” quote by W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c22/w-s-gilbert-8102_actor_no-good-play-is-a-success-fine-writing-a_2351928.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c22/w-s-gilbert-8102_actor_no-good-play-is-a-success-fine-writing-a_2351928.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c22/w-s-gilbert-8102_actor_no-good-play-is-a-success-fine-writing-a_2351928.jpg) > “No good play is a success; fine writing and high morals are useless on the stage. I have been scribbling twaddle for thirty-five years to suit the public taste, and I should know.” [W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Artistic success is meaningless without moral integrity; superficial talent fails without ethics. **In simple terms:** Success without morals is hollow. Key Takeaway Prioritize integrity over fame. Themes art morality authenticity success integrity Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - theatre - writing - education - media criticism Key Concepts ethical art creative responsibility public perception Questions to Reflect On - Can art be both popular and moral? - What sacrifices are needed for integrity? A Different Perspective Audience may still value entertainment over ethics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Fine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fine/) [Five](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five/) [Five years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five-years/) [Good Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-play/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Scribbling Twaddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scribbling-twaddle-5728789/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage/) [Stage Scribbling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage-scribbling-5728790/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Suits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suits/) [Taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taste/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Thirty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirty/) [Twaddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twaddle-3714386/) [Twaddle Thirty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twaddle-thirty-5728791/) [Useless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useless/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [Better to write twaddle, anything, than nothing at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/better-to-write-twaddle-anything-than-nothing-at-all/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [ \[To the bishop who suggested the widowed queen now consider herself 'as married to Christ':\] That's what I call twaddle! ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queen-victoria/to-the-bishop-who-suggested-the-widowed-queen-now-consider-herself-as/) [Queen Victoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/queen-victoria/) > [“I imagine I was always writing. Twaddle it was, too. But better far write twaddle or anything, anything, than nothing at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/i-imagine-i-was-always-writing-twaddle-it-was-too-but-better-far/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [Usually I write irrelevant twaddle and hope for the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-key/usually-i-write-irrelevant-twaddle-and-hope-for-the-best/) [Tim Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-key/) > [“You don't always get the role you're going to play in life, but it's good to play whatever role you got the best way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/you-don-t-always-get-the-role-you-re-going-to-play-in-life-but-it-s/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [When I see one of my teammates make a good play, to keep that energy going, I feel like that's what I do on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avery-bradley/when-i-see-one-of-my-teammates-make-a-good-play-to-keep-that-energy/) [Avery Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avery-bradley/) > [I mean, I don't necessarily want to leave because I have this job, but I would love to do a good play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erika-slezak/i-mean-i-don-t-necessarily-want-to-leave-because-i-have-this-job-but/) [Erika Slezak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erika-slezak/) > [In a good play every speech should be as fully flavoured as a nut or apple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-millington-synge/in-a-good-play-every-speech-should-be-as-fully-flavoured-as-a-nut-or/) [John Millington Synge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-millington-synge/) > [What I always say is, "Look good, feel good, play good."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-poulter/what-i-always-say-is-look-good-feel-good-play-good/) [Ian Poulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-poulter/) > [I love a good play, but they're too hard to find.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/i-love-a-good-play-but-they-re-too-hard-to-find/) [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) > [I've got to prove I'm good enough to play for Everton.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-calvert-lewin/i-ve-got-to-prove-i-m-good-enough-to-play-for-everton/) [Dominic Calvert-Lewin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-calvert-lewin/) > [I can play in different positions, and if I can do what I'm good at, score goals, show how good I can play football,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georginio-wijnaldum/i-can-play-in-different-positions-and-if-i-can-do-what-i-m-good-at/) [Georginio Wijnaldum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georginio-wijnaldum/) > [It's good to play in different ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcos-alonso/it-s-good-to-play-in-different-ways/) [Marcos Alonso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcos-alonso/) > [You can't have a good play without good fundamentals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-flores/you-can-t-have-a-good-play-without-good-fundamentals/) [Brian Flores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-flores/) > [If I serve good and play aggressive from the baseline, I can beat everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karolina-pliskova/if-i-serve-good-and-play-aggressive-from-the-baseline-i-can-beat/) [Karolina Pliskova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karolina-pliskova/) ## More by W. 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Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) > [The idiot who praises, with enthusiastic tone, All centuries but this, and every country but his own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/the-idiot-who-praises-with-enthusiastic-tone-all-centuries-but-this/) [W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) > [And that singular anomaly, the lady novelist-- I don't think she'd be missed--I'm sure she'd not be missed!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/and-that-singular-anomaly-the-lady-novelist-i-don-t-think-she-d-be/) [W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) > [I am the Captain of the Pinafore ; And a right good captain too! . . . . And I'm never, never sick at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/i-am-the-captain-of-the-pinafore-and-a-right-good-captain-too-and-i-m/) [W. S. 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Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) > [every Jack He must study the knack If he wants to make sure of his Jill!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/every-jack-he-must-study-the-knack-if-he-wants-to-make-sure-of-his/) [W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) > [If I can wheedle A knife or a needle, Why not a Silver Churn?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/if-i-can-wheedle-a-knife-or-a-needle-why-not-a-silver-churn/) [W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) > [All bayonets are bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/all-bayonets-are-bad/) [W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) > [The happiest hour a sailor sees Is when he's down At an inland town, With his Nancy on his knees, yo ho! And his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/the-happiest-hour-a-sailor-sees-is-when-he-s-down-at-an-inland-town/) [W. S. 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I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. 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