The great inquiry

A sharply comic reconstruction of an early‑twentieth‑century governmental commission, this work invites listeners into the ceremonious yet baffling world of British parliamentary inquiry. The narrative is framed as an official record, complete with solemn oaths, ornate titles and the dry formality of printed minutes, while the dialogue crackles with wit and absurdity. It captures the clash between lofty patriotic rhetoric and the everyday concerns of industry and labor.

At the heart of the first act sits Mr. Baines, a modest iron‑master from Middlesbrough, summoned before a panel of eminent statesmen. As ministers and secretaries volley questions about tariffs, subsidies and workers’ shares, Baines’s bewildered responses expose the gap between high‑level policy and practical reality. The exchange is peppered with period slang, bewildered interjections and a playful mock‑seriousness that keeps the tone both lively and incisive.

Beyond the immediate debate, the piece offers a gentle satire of empire‑wide ambition, the stubbornness of bureaucracy, and the paradox of “reason humbled by folly.” Listeners will enjoy the blend of historical flavor and timeless humor, feeling as though they are overhearing a private hearing that never quite leaves the realm of the absurd.