Opera House Woes

I have read that Belfast's Grand Opera House has experienced "a difficult time" and suffered "a shortfall of 50% in sponsorship funding. We had to look at our internal costs and make really difficult decisions."

I haven't been to the opera house for almost six months, when there was a production of Gilbert and Sullivan.

If I indulge in a pre-theatre snifter, I invariably head to the Europa Hotel's Piano Bar which I find more conducive than the opera house extension.

There has been no grand opera in the theatre, to the best of my knowledge, since then.

I have had a look at their new website and, indeed, readers shall be unsurprised to learn that I preferred the previous one. Is this the result of another cost-cutting measure? How is the renovated website improved by trendier fonts and colours?

The Grand Opera House is essentially a Victorian theatre, with Victorian - and even Edwardian - décor and plasterwork. Any website and letter-heading ought to reflect and celebrate such sumptuous surroundings and grandeur, to my mind at least.

Timothy Belmont designed his own website - within limitations - making use of fonts and colours which reflect my ethos and beliefs; using the Edwardian Script sparingly. I hope that traditional fonts and quiet colours reflect traditional, classic values.

Blatant advertising is loud and vulgar, utterly inappropriate; however, I suppose we must accept it, given that the sponsors demand it.

I invite the Management of the theatre to respond.