I refer to the article entitled World renowned tenor insists on need for national theatre (TMI, 2 September).

It reflects my exact sentiments. I am not Joseph Calleja but I have worked at the English National Opera and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, along with almost all the commercial theatres in the West End, London.

The Maltese leader’s Thatcherite attitude will be the downfall of this government. Why on earth do they not realise that the performing arts should be nurtured, rather than murdered? We have experts here in Malta who would be so proud to be part of the project (rebuilding a theatre on the site that was once occupied by the Royal Opera House), namely architects, stonemasons and highly qualified people in modern technology.

We always boast about Malta being in front in this field, yet as usual, this government prefers to pay foreigners to do a job on a site belonging to our people.

They have also ruined small enterprise businesses in the performing arts because they prefer to help the few to bring in decrepit performers and pay through their noses, while the small performing arts companies in Malta do not get a penny. Talk about lining one’s pockets.

Ray Mangion

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