Thanks to the clever humour of Scottish Opera’s two pairings of librettist and composer, this is a genuinely fun evening. Perhaps it’s only in contemporary Scotland that gags about politicians and motorhomes are almost guaranteed to raise a laugh. However, the points that Emma Jenkins and Toby Hession (who excels as conductor as well as composer) raise in A Matter Of Misconduct! (their response to Gilbert And Sullivan’s legal satire, Trial By Jury) are apparent all around.

This misconduct is drawn from political hypocrisy, material greed and power-mad egos. Party leadership contender Roger Penistone (‘Penistone For Growth’ is the vote-winning slogan) and his wellness guru wife, Cherry, whose precarious GUSH! brand has taken on dodgy financial backing, are convincingly played by the company’s Emerging Artists Ross Cumming and Chloe Harris. Both evidence strong operatic skills that will easily see them to the next stage of career success. Along with fellow Emerging Artists Kira Kaplan and Edward Jowle, and Scottish Opera veteran Jamie MacDougall, they appear in both works.

While each piece benefits from reflecting off the other, the 150-year-old Trial By Jury, transplanted to a 1980s live TV studio, especially gains from the perspective given by this new opera. Too silly and frilly (whether the sickly fuschia dresses or hyper stage movement), the sung words lacked the clear diction essential in setting G&S apart. Fortunately, there were surtitles and Scottish Opera’s orchestra was on top form.

Trial By Jury/A Matter Of Misconduct! is on at Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Friday 6 June; reviewed at Theatre Royal, Glasgow; picture: Mihaela Bodlovic.