abstract:Omai is a 1785 pantomime written by John O'Keeffe with music by William Shield. It depicts the voyage of Omai, a Tahitian royal, to marry Londina the fictional daughter of Britannia.
Sir Joshua Reynolds' Portrait of Omai was on display at Castle Howard in North Yorkshire for more than 200 years until it was sold at Sotheby's in 2001.
Omai was discovered by explorers on an island near Tahiti and brought back to England in 1774, where his exotic looks and refined manner were reported to have caused a sensation.