FLAG-WAVING LIKE THE DYSTOPIAN PROMS: ‘DYSTOPIA: THE ROCK OPERA’ TAKES ÒRAN MÓR BY STORM

Stacey
1 day ago
2 min read

Òran Mór’s packed audience found themselves part of the story as Dystopia: The Rock Opera transformed the venue into a full-blown satirical state. The space was decked out in flags and propaganda, and every audience member received their own Dystopian flag. By the finale, every single person was waving it — cheering, laughing, and unwittingly enacting the show’s darkly comic message about obedience, spectacle, and the seduction of power.

Written, produced, and performed by Justin Skelton, Dystopia is part rock concert, part political cabaret, and entirely unlike anything else on stage. Critics have hailed it as “anarchic, hilarious, deeply musical, and searingly relevant” (Georgina McIntyre).

Skelton fronts the band as lead singer and storyteller, playing Beldon Haigh, a disgraced spin doctor turned reluctant rebel. He’s joined by Fiona Lynch, whose powerhouse vocals bring fire and humanity to Helen Raiser, a jailed arsonist, and Dru Baker, who doubles brilliantly as both President Blame and President Moon, while also delivering blistering sax and keyboard performances.

Behind them, the masked band features Polinium Putin on drums, Kim Jong Elvis on lead guitar, and Touchy Trump on bass — all wearing unnervingly lifelike masks of modern authoritarian icons. The musicianship is exceptional, the satire razor-sharp, and the energy relentless.

But what makes Dystopia truly special is its immersive and participative nature. It’s wild, funny, and gloriously unpredictable — a shared experience where the audience becomes part of the spectacle. Beneath the humour and political bite, the show carries a resonant message about happiness — and the importance of finding your own, even in oppressive times.

Visually and musically, Dystopia is a riot: projected animation, pounding anthems, and fearless improvisation collide in a show that blurs the line between satire and celebration.

As the final anthem, “It’s A Pure Distraction,” thundered through the hall, Òran Mór rose to its feet — flags aloft in joyful irony — delivering a Glaswegian standing ovation that shook the rafters.

Dystopia: The Rock Opera is a bold fusion of storytelling, satire, and song — a political spectacle that’s also great fun. It cements Justin Skelton as not only a commanding frontman but a remarkable singer, storyteller, and creative visionary, and one of the most distinctive voices emerging from Scotland’s music and theatre scene.

About Dystopia: The Rock Opera:

Dystopia: The Rock Opera is an original work written by Justin Skelton. Justin and his band Beldon Haigh perform the show live across two 45-minute halves with an interval. Dystopia: The Rock Opera comprises seventeen brilliant, original compositions. The song scape is diverse and beautifully curated, ranging from rock to pop to funk, with every song featuring Skelton's imaginative and unique songwriting and lyrical style. It's a rich palette of storytelling and musicality which paints pictures, provokes, satirises, and always entertains.