Composed by Francesca Le Lohé and with a libretto by Joanna Pidcock adapted from Mori Ogai’s Japanese novella Vita Sexualis, new chamber opera How Was It For You premiered in Tokyo in May 2022, in a limited run at the Toshima Civic Centre. The opera was co-staged by Joanna Pidcock and Francesca Le Lohé.

The opera explores sex education and the difficulties of speaking openly and honestly about sex, particularly within families. It followed two young women trying to translate the diary of one of their ancestors, and in the process revealing his tormented relationship with his own sexuality.

The libretto moved between Japanese and English, illustrating issues of communication and translation within the text.