Valley Opera’s production of Gounod’s Faust has, we hear, been forced to stand down an orchestra of 22 musicians and replace them with a rehearsal pianist under California’s new “gig law” (AB5), which prohibits freelance engagements.

The first the audience heard about it was on the back of the programme book, which urged them to contact their local legislator to amend or repeal the law.

This is not the first such case.