Letter: New home for opera

Sir: At last it has been stated publicly, by Lord Palumbo, that London needs a new opera house, not the continued wasteful refurbishment of Covent Garden (report, 22 December). Not only is the basic design of the auditorium, with its poor sight-lines, outdated, but the foyers, refreshment facilities, cloakrooms and lavatories are also a disgrace.

Let us follow New York and Paris in having a new music theatre to modern standards. False sentiment about E. M. Barry's theatre should not stand in the way.

Yours sincerely,

GEOFFREY MYERS

Croydon, Surrey