A Matter of Misconduct! | Theatre Royal Glasgow & Festival Theatre Edinburgh, May-June 2025
World premiere opera with music by Toby Hession and libretto by Emma Jenkins, performed as a double-bill with Gilbert & Sullivan’s Trial by Jury. This Scottish Opera production ran 14-16 May at Theatre Royal Glasgow and 5-7 June at Festival Theatre Edinburgh, conducted by Hession himself.
A Matter of Misconduct! is a 21st-century satirical response to Victorian political farce, set in the Number 10 Downing Street press room where scandal threatens a leadership campaign. The new operetta explores political corruption, hypocrisy and legal absurdity through contemporary lens. takis designed costumes for both operas in the evening, creating distinct visual worlds for Sullivan’s courtroom comedy and the modern political satire.
A joint commission by Scottish Opera, D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, and Opera Holland Park, the production demonstrates how operetta’s satirical tradition continues to address contemporary political culture. Reviews praised the costume design’s ability to capture both Victorian legal pageantry and modern Westminster dysfunction.
Creative Team: Composer: Toby Hession | Librettist: Emma Jenkins | Conductor: Toby Hession | Costume Designer: takis | Commissioner: Scottish Opera, D’Oyly Carte Opera, Opera Holland Park