Antonia Bain

A phone call during a busy shift in the restaurant kitchen of The Narcissistic Fish sparks a war between the owner Angus and his brother Kai. As they argue over their dead father, talented and underpaid chef Belle has a revelation of her own. Join Scottish Opera’s Emerging Artists (Charlie Drummond, Mark Nathan and Arthur Bruce) for a visceral exploration of the clash between class, gender and workplace pressure in 21st century Scotland, in this brand new digital opera with music by Samuel Bordoli, libretto by acclaimed Scottish writer Jenni Fagan and directed by in-house film-maker Antonia Bain.

This 14-minute film, inspired by Franz Kafka's last short story, "Josephine the Singer," and produced in collaboration with Maestro Broadcasting, is directed by Scottish Opera's resident filmmaker, Antonia Bain, and composed by former Emerging Artists resident composer Samuel Bordoli, with a libretto co-written by both. The soundtrack features Emerging Artist (2022/23) Zoe Drummond, a choir, and the Scottish Opera Orchestra, conducted by Susannah Wapshott.