Bursting Into Canzone

New Zealand bass-baritone Paul Whelan stepped out of the audience and onto the stage to sing the part of Raimundo at a London Coliseum performance of Lucia di Lammermoor. Whelan, who is due to play the part in March, sang from the side of the stage while Clive Bayley stayed on to mime having lost his voice. Whelan made it to the stage before the second scene but did not have time to change into 19th Century costume. A spokesman for the English National Opera said: “It was an electric evening all round. There was such an enthusiastic response from the audience, and then when Paul stepped forward to take his bow, the house erupted.”