The double-bill will bring to life the true tale of The Tumbling Lassie – a girl declared free from effective slavery by the Court of Session in 1687 – and the romance of Fergus of Galloway, a dramatic retelling of one of the earliest known works in Scottish literature.

All funds raised by ticket purchases at the event will be donated to the Tumbling Lassie Appeal 2019, which raises funds for charities dedicated to fighting slavery and human trafficking in the present day, and providing support for its victims in Scotland and beyond.

The Tumbling Lassie Committee, which is made up of six members of the Faculty of Advocates, have raised over £60,000 for charity in the last three years.

The committee will also host a seminar, ‘Bonded labour and international intervention in trafficking’, at the Faculty of Advocates’ Mackenzie Building on Saturday 27 April.

Commenting ahead of the double bill operetta, chair of the Tumbling Lassie Committee, Alan McLean QC, said: “We are delighted to showcase this double-bill operetta in the heart of Edinburgh. The Tumbling Lassie is a tale steeped in the history of the city, dating back to a legal case which declared slavery illegal for the first time in Scotland, and still resonates today.

“We thank two of Scotland’s finest artists – Alexander McCall Smith and Tom Cunningham – for their outstanding support to the appeal in this dedicated operetta.

“Every penny we raise helps to tackle the evils of slavery and human trafficking at home and abroad, and we look forward to a productive as well as an enjoyable evening.”

Tickets for the evening are still available via the event’s website