Quiet night for Royal Opera House as leading man loses voice

IT’S been a busy time for the Royal Opera House. Last week it cut ties with oil giant BP, which has been a sponsor for 33 years. Then, last night, the company began

the season with a performance of Wagner’s Tannhäuser, which is due to run until mid-February. But leading man Stefan Vinke was unable to sing.

He fell ill a few hours before the curtain went up and ended up on stage going through the motions while Norbert Ernst sang his lines from the wings. There was apparently no stand-in for the leading man. One audience member called the miming “distracting”.

The ROH told us today its is “hoping” Vinke will be “well enough” to sing future shows. Opera troupes have had tickets sales issues since Covid, and the English National Opera had its Arts Council funding cut, meaning it may leave London.

Harry and Haydn’s crowning glory

Some TV for the King to avoid: a new episode of The Windsors, a comedy show that mocks the Royal family, is being made for his Coronation, with a full series to follow later in the year. It stars Harry Enfield as Charles and Haydn Gwynne as Camilla.

Prince Harry’s recent autobiography should provide plenty of material for the writers, who had already portrayed the Queen Consort as a troublemaker. Harry has accused Camilla of leaking to the press. “I’m beginning to worry if Prince Harry has been watching,” Gwynne said this weekend. “I thought my Camilla had nothing to do with the real Camilla”. The Coronation is on May 8, which is a Bank Holiday.

Evaristo calls for change

BOOKER Prize-winner Bernardine Evaristo wants more senior women characters in literature. “Why is it that... older women become invisible in literature unless they’re demented?” she said at a talk at the Hay Festival in Cartagena, Colombia. “Just when we’re at our most interesting, we are made the most invisible in our ageist societies,” she added. Will anyone heed her call to write differently?

Will remainers be heard?

A NEW mega-poll spells bad news for Brexiteers. Unherd, an online magazine, has surveyed 10,000 voters across the country, finding a wave of so-called “Bregret”, or Brexit regret, in every UK seat bar one: Boston, Lincolnshire. Five of the 10 most Bregretful areas are in London. They say the results don’t mean most people want to rejoin the EU. UnHerd was founded by Brexiteers.

Guillermo holds court for stars

Londoner’s Diary 30th January 2023

ACTORS David Harewood and Michelle Yeoh attended a lunch for director Guillermo del Toro at The Covent Garden Hotel on Friday, hosted by James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli. Also there was Andrea Riseborough, only just Oscar nominated. Later on, Max Hurd and Lady Violet Manners went to party guru Henry Conway’s 40th at The Dorchester. Meanwhile, in Miami yesterday, David Beckham was at singer Marc Anthony’s wedding to Nadia Ferreira. It’s Anthony’s fourth marriage: he was previously wed to Jennifer Lopez.