Scottish Opera Double Bill
Trial by Jury – ★★★★☆ Absurd
A Matter of Misconduct! – ★★★★☆ Shrewd
Festival Theatre: Fri 30 May & Fri 6 June 2025
Review by Rebecca Mahar
Scottish Opera and the D’Oyly Carte Opera celebrate the 150th anniversary Gilbert & Sullivan’s partnership by pairing Trial By Jury with A Matter of Misconduct!, a new operetta commissioned in response to it.
Although G&S had collaborated briefly in 1871, Trial By Jury was their first operetta and the one that kicked off their enduring success, making its premiere a fitting date to mark. Like all their subsequent collaborations, the plot is completely ludicrous, tucking satire into its nooks and crannies to sneak past the censors of the time.
Edward Jowle (Usher) and Chloe Harris (Counsel for the Plaintiff) in Trial by Jury. Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic.
Director John Savournin plonks the Victorian down in the 1980s, on the set of the hit tv-show Trial By Jury, where court cases are televised before a live studio audience – played by the operetta’s audience. Usher-turned-Security crew member (Edward Jowle) coaches everyone on their role and ‘Applause’ and ‘Boo’ signs are illuminated when the requisite reactions are required.
Plaintiff and jilted bride Angelina (Kira Kaplan) is suing the defendant, Edwin (Jamie MacDougall), for Breach of Promise. Both parties present their cases to the Learned Judge (Richard Suart). Angelina is backed up by her Counsel (Chloe Harris), an entourage of bridesmaids, and a highly sympathetic jury.
bedazzled gavel
The stakes are never especially high, despite the seriousness of the crime when G&S wrote the show (and although long considered archaic, it was technically on the books in England and Wales until 1971) as it’s obvious Angelina is going to come out the victor. Ending in the Learned Judge’s absurd decision and the banging of a bedazzled gavel, this Trial fully embraces the ridiculousness inherent in the original, and in the setting it has chosen.
Edward Jowle (Usher), Kira Kaplan (The Plaintiff) and Richard Suart (The Learned Judge) in Trial by Jury. Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic.
As always in this genre, it won’t work unless the performers are completely committed to the bit, and this company is up to the challenge. The principal cast features several of this year’s Emerging Artists at Scottish Opera: Kaplan, Harris, Jowle, and James Cumming as Foreman of the Jury, each give outstanding, energetic performances.
With a simple, detailed set and an era-specific brashness of costuming, takis and associate designer Lise Bondu define the world of the opera, along with playful lighting from Ben Pickersgill. With the tv set’s many bare bulbs bopping along to Sullivan’s spritely tunes, it’s easy to get sucked in to the world of Trial By Jury, and buy into its delightful nonsense.
A Matter of Misconduct!
After the interval it’s time for A Matter of Misconduct!, which shares the entire principal cast and most of the creative team, although it is directed by Laura Attridge.
Ross Cumming (Roger Penistone) in A Matter of Misconduct! Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic.
Deputy Prime Minister Roger Penistone (Ross Cumming) is preparing to appear on an episode of “Loose Women”, after filming a campaign spot, shepherded through his schedule by press secretary Hugo Cheeseman (Edward Jowle).
What appears to be a productive day for the imminent party leader veers off course when government special advisor Sandy Hogg (Jamie MacDougall) turns up to cancel Penistone’s TV appearance and inform him of a scandal in the making.
turn things around
Penistone’s wife, Cherry (Chloe Harris), a wellness guru and founder of the brand GUSH!, has apparently jumped into bed (figuratively, at least) with a crown prince of Abu Dhabi to advance her business.
When Cherry turns up the whole situation explodes and all seems lost— until Sylvia Lawless (Kira Kaplan), of the law firm Lawless, Lawless, Lawless and Crook arrives, and assures them she can turn things around.
Kira Kaplan (Sylvia Lawless) in A Matter of Misconduct! Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic.
Composed by Toby Hession with a libretto by Emma Jankins, A Matter of Misconduct! is in every way a worthy successor to Gilbert & Sullivan, although it is not entirely clear that this will be the case at first.
Kaplan’s opening song is rather sinister, establishing Lawless’s character before we get into the main story and find out who she is, and the tone is unexpected. But as soon as the lines “this monumental cock-up / is a matter of misconduct / it could damage our position / it could land us all in prison / if word gets out!” are sung by the Penistone & co. quartet, it’s apparent what type of show we’re in for.
The absurdity of this new operetta lies not in its premise, but in how much reality it manages to both pack and present humorously in such a short time. There are obvious references to real events (“you dipped your nib into party funds to buy a motorhome for your poor wee granny”), and the scandals of past and present politicians; Roger Penistone just happens to have fingers in all of them. Just when you think it can’t get worse, it does — sound familiar?
delivers its message bluntly
With no censors to appease, A Matter of Misconduct! delivers its message bluntly, while making its audience roar with laughter, and demonstrating that operetta still has a place in the contemporary world and the development of new work. Additionally, this may well be the first time the words “Womble”, “bawbag”, “prison bitches”, and “clitoral stimulator” have appeared in an opera.
Ross Cumming, Chloe Harris, Kira Kaplan, Edward Jowle and Jamie MacDougall in A Matter of Misconduct! Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic.
With four of the five principal characters being played by Emerging Artists, it’s also an outstanding showcase for rising talent at Scottish Opera in vocal excellence and performative versatility.
Much like its G&S forbears, the day is saved at the end of the operetta in a miraculous fashion— but not without a twist, and the neat tying-up of some early foreshadowing.
As onstage screens remind us at the end of the show, since 2017 over 100 UK politicians have been involved in matters of misconduct, many of which will never be brought to trial, much less justice. What worthier court to sentence them in, then, than the stage?
Running time: Two hours and 20 minutes (including one interval)
Festival Theatre, 13-29 Nicolson Street EH8 9FT
30 May & 6 June 2025
Evening: 7:15pm
Tickets and details: Book here.
Access performances: The 6 June performance will be audio described and have a touch tour before the show
Opera Holland Park, 37 Pembroke Road, London W8 6PW.
Tue 24, Thur 26 June 2025
Evenings: 7.30pm
Tickets and details: Book here.
Jamie MacDougall (The Defendant) in Trial by Jury. Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic.
ENDS
