This convoluted plot and delightfully clever score make for a hilarious criticism of the 19th century British elite. Gilbert & Sullivan wrote The Mikado in 1885 when England was experiencing a craze for all things Japanese as a result of the opening of trade with Japan. Gilbert & Sullivan looked to the East in writing this biting satire of Victorian England and used Japanese characters to represent the British Monarchy’s scions of society. Although the opera takes place in Japan, it is not an accurate portrayal of the country, and is a current point of controversy due to it’s traditional use of yellowface.

Opera companies across the United States have responded with a variety of approaches to address the issue of cultural insensitivity, and VLOC is among them. VLOC has chosen to reconceptualize the piece, changing its locale and time and refitting its trenchant critique of Victorian England. After much research, reading, and outreach to scholars and performers on the issue, director Helen Aberger adapted the work similar to Jonathan Miller’s 1986 English National Opera production. VLOC’s Mikado takes place in 1920s London at the Hotel Titipu Japan.