English National Opera

John Berry, English National Opera's artistic director, has accused critics of "murdering" new risk-taking productions, according to today's Daily Telegraph.

He is also reported as saying that London is more conservative than Berlin.

Does he know that in Vienna, where opera houses are filled every night, you can pay as little as 3 euro for standing viewing? To stand in the pit at The Globe or the Donmar Warehouse you would have to pay a lot more.

Perhaps the fact that we are in a recession and that you can pay as much as £78 to sit in the balcony four tiers up at the English National Opera is closer to an answer as to why people aren't flocking to performances.