Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (1842-1900) &
W.S. Gilbert (1838-1910)
Trial by Jury (1875)
Toby Hession (b. 1997)
A Matter of Misconduct! (2025), libretto by Emma Jenkins
The Orchestra of Scottish Opera/Toby Hession
rec. 2025, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, UK
Opus Arte OA1398D DVD [104]
This is an unexpected production to come from the stable of Scottish Opera, despite their on-going connection with the D’Oyly Carte Opera Trust: they previous staged The Gondoliers and Utopia. This double bill was assembled for Opera Holland Park and Scottish Opera.
The performance of Trial by Jury is in the good hands of John Savournin, a director who grew up with in-depth knowledge of the Gilbert & Sullivan comic operas from early Buxton International Festival appearances. He has now become a cornerstone of ENO and Holland Park Opera’s creative excellence.
Trial by Jury here takes a diversion from the tradition. It updates the original staging to one more familiar and closer to home. The compact plot – with typical wit from Gilbert’s pen – draws on the court setting that Gilbert knew well; he had unsuccessfully attempted to embark on a career at the bar. The opera was written as a ‘bill filler’ for La Perichole at the Opera Comique in London. The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company retained the piece as a curtain raiser in their large repertoire until their demise in 1982. (The continuance of the D’Oyly Carte Opera Trust in partnership with Scottish Opera provides generous financial support.)
The well-known plot need not be detailed here, apart from mentioning that it is a court case about a breach of promise of marriage. Now revived by Scottish Opera, it is fresh, well sung and energetically staged. Veteran patter man, Richard Suart, retains all of his usual superb comic charm as the Learned Judge. The set is adjusted for an on-stage televised broadcast. The Floor Manager in the prologue – a particularly charismatic Edward Jowle – becomes a dynamic Usher during the court case. He steals the show with his strong, resonant baritone.
Kira Kaplan as Plaintiff and Jamie MacDougall as Defendant act and sing with conviction. His splendid singing notwithstanding, I wondered if the Defendant might have been cast as a younger man to match the Plaintiff’s age. The jury and bridesmaids are well choreographed, but interruptions to the music by a bridesmaid’s unscripted yelled comments tend to disturb one’s concentration.
Toby Hession conducts with verve and thankfully takes most numbers at their traditionally brisk pace. My only reservation was the reading of the Sextet with chorus, ‘A Nice Dilemma’. Never mind the enunciation Die-lemma rather than the traditional Dil-emma, but the chosen tempo is slow for this hit number. Sullivan marked the Sextet Andante sostenuto (walking pace), so one can understand the conductor’s interpretation here. But delivery from the batons of Isidore Godfrey through to Richard Hickox takes the number at an energetic pace. Maybe this change was made in Sullivan’s lifetime. He was noted for rarely re-visiting and adjusting his scores, and they rarely carried tempo markings. True, the words are better heard when sung at a slower pace, but to me this seems laboured. The catchy rhythm and energy associated with the number may be lost.
The disc also contains a new satirical one-act operetta, A Matter of Misconduct! Emma Jenkins wrote a brilliantly witty libretto, and conductor Toby Hession composed the music. The subject of the piece is highly topical – a political spin-doctor is central to the action. This production, pleasantly staged by Laura Attridge, shares its cast with Trial, but this time they don ministerial government roles. The piece is set in London, in the Downing Street Press Office.
The plot concerns a Deputy Prime Minister who is making a campaign video to boost his chances of party leadership – so up-to-date! A bustling, rudely outspoken Press Officer, Sandy Hogg, is the focus of much activity. Jamie MacDougall sings and acts superbly. In sloppy casual dress, he delivers what I would call an extended patter song, full of amusing, witty and appropriate comments. (They could have come from the mouth of a Dominic Cummings.) A leak about reputation breaks out amongst the staff, so a smug lawyer from the firm of Lawless, Lawless, Lawless & Crook is brought in to settle the problem. Kira Kaplan ably plays Sylvia Lawless, a lawyer of formidable strength. She realises that in their discussion and bickering, a microphone had been left live, and all details of their private conversation recorded. This is wonderful evidence that she can put to good use if necessary!
The recording balance and ambience are excellent for these live recordings, taken over two nights at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh. The performances have been nicely captured; much of the flawless continuity has to be due to the skill of the video editor, Andy Barker. The lighting is colourful and well matched for television. One only wonders if it has become a tradition in Scottish Opera’s productions to leave the tops of sets in gloom.
The Orchestra of Scottish Opera, with leader Anthony Moffat, has a generous number of string players, and performs magnificently under Hession’s baton. The video is a lovely romp through British law and justice.
Raymond J Walker
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Cast
Trial by Jury
Richard Suart (baritone): The Learned Judge
Kira Kaplan (soprano): Plaintiff
Jamie MacDougall (tenor): Defendant
Chloe Harris (mezzo-soprano): Counsel
Edward Jowle (baritone): Usher and Floor Manager
Ross Cumming (baritone): Foreman of the Jury
A Matter of Misconduct!
Ross Cumming (baritone): Roger Penistone
Edward Jowle (baritone): Hugo Cheeseman
Jamie MacDougall (tenor): Sandy Hogg
Chloe Harris (mezzo-soprano): Cherry Penistone
Kira Kaplan (soprano): Sylvia Lawless
Other personnel
Director, Trial by Jury: John Savournin
Director, A Matter of Misconduct!: Laura Attridge
Choreographer: Kally Lloyd Jones
Designer: takis
Lighting: Ben Pickersgill
Technical details
Picture format: 16:9
Audio formats: LPCM 2.0, DTS Digital Surround
Subtitles: English, Japanese and Korean
Extra feature: Cast gallery
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
