BRITAIN:An English National Opera singer received huge applause after he stepped up from the audience, still in his suit, to replace a sick colleague part-way through the opening night show.
Bass-baritone Paul Whelan rescued Saturday's performance of Lucia di Lammermoor, based on a novel by Sir Walter Scott, after Clive Bayley, who was playing one of the main characters, lost his voice.
Bayley, playing the pastor Raimondo, struggled through the 40-minute first scene of the production with a chest infection before realising he was unable to continue.
Whelan, who was watching the performance at the London Coliseum, was alerted by a stage manager and made it to the stage in time for the second scene, but had no chance to change out of his designer suit and into 19th-century costume.
Bayley stayed on to mime the rest of the performance while Whelan sang his part from the side of the stage.
The ENO had been concerned about the health of leading lady Anna Christy, who suffered from bronchitis last week and had an understudy waiting in the wings.
But while the American soprano completed the performance without any problems, it became clear that Bayley would be unable to continue singing.
An ENO spokesman said: "It was quite a shock for everybody. We were all focusing on Anna, because she had been ill with bronchitis, and Lucia is a huge thing.
"Then by the end of the first scene we noticed Clive was losing his voice, and sent a message to Paul. He stepped in, but there was no time for him to change into his costume.
"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."
The 38-year-old, who is currently appearing in the ENO's production of Madame Butterfly, had been scheduled to sing the part for two nights next month, but had little opportunity to rehearse before facing the sell-out audience.
He told the Daily Telegraph: "It was an extraordinary experience and we had an extraordinary reaction from the audience. I'm just so glad I was wearing my Armani tie."