Dangerous Matter

Memory shapes the past, defines the present, and guides the future.

In 18th century Britain, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu defied medical convention by championing inoculation, a practice she had witnessed in Turkey. Facing resistance from the Royal Society, she trusted the expertise of inoculators across Asia and Africa, paving the way for evidence-based, preventative medicine. Her advocacy laid the groundwork for Edward Jenner who would refine these ideas 40 years later, leading to the first vaccine.

Through Lady Mary’s story, Dangerous Matter explores memory in its many forms: historical, personal, and biological. Who do we remember for shaping the world and transforming global health? How does memory define identity and legacy? And how does the body itself remember, protecting us through generations?

Blending science and history, Dangerous Matter is a powerful reflection on the role of memory in medicine and human progress.

This opera is the result of a collaborative process between scientists and musicians, working together to bring the production to life. It is part of the Thanks for the Memories project, supported by the Wellcome Trust.

Thanks for the Memories

Thanks for the Memories is a collaboration between Paul Klenerman, Professor of Immunology at Oxford University, and composer Zakiya Leeming, Artist and Producer in Residence at RNCM PRiSM. The project explores the history and science of immune memory and Klenerman’s current research through musical composition and public events. In 2024, Leeming and Klenerman worked with five secondary schools across Oxford and Manchester to realise 46 world premieres by new young composers.

Programme

Zakiya Leeming Dangerous Matter

Zakiya Leeming composer
Sam Redway Wells director, dramaturgGermaine Kruip
Melvin Tay conductor
Rosie Middleton Lady Mary Wortley Montagu
Ruth Harley Sarah Chiswell / Multi-role
Ankur Dang Princess Caroline / Multi-role
Esther Shea Greek Inoculator / Multi-role
Yu Chinen Variola / Multi-role
Oscar Bowen-Hill Dr Charles Maitland / Multi-role