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Singers Michaela Schuster and John Botha had no problems performing Tannhauser in Vienna, but not every show goes so smoothly

The show must go on, they say. But what about going to the opera and learning that the star tenor can't sing - and then that his understudy has gone down with the same bug?

In this case you are going to hear the understudy's understudy (who probably hasn't been studying very hard).

Well, that is what happened at English National Opera the other night in a performance of Bizet's The Pearl Fishers.

Here are your stories of operatic - and other - performances which did not turn out as expected.

Some years ago in the tiny parish church of St.Levan in the far southwest of Cornwall the organist failed to turn up for the main service. We were all prepared to sing unaccompanied when a quiet voice came from the congregation: "Perhaps I might be of assistance?" It was Sir Charles Groves.
Helen Poole, Guildford

One of the best evenings I've had at ENO was the recent production of Donizetti's The Elixir of Love, with Nemorino sung in Italian by a wonderful last-minute replacement, while the rest of the cast sang in English. Cast and audience alike and seemed to relish the mix.
Jane Draycott, UK

With regard to understudies there is the famous event in the late 70s when Thomas Allen collapsed during Carmina Burana. Andre Previn saw someone appear on the stage who sang the rest of the part. I believe this unplanned understudier followed Tom Allen around for years.
Peter Lane, Swansea UK

It's hardly opera, but back in 1980 I went to see the punk band The Ruts play a gig in Plymouth. As the support band finished their set, Ruts lead singer Malcolm Owen could not go on.

The band soldiered on, recruiting one of their roadies to sing a couple of songs who turned out to be rather good. When the time came play their hit - Babylon's Burning - they invited half the mosh-pit up on stage to form a mass choir.

This highly chaotic but very enjoyable gig ended as one of the most memorable I've ever attended, and thinking of it now, 30 years later, it still makes me smile. Please tell the lady from The Independent not to be such an old misery.
Paul Slade, London N1

I attended this performance and in my opinion the performance of the last minute replacement was superb even though sung in French. The performance suffered a slight distraction due to the unusual circumstances but these things happen.

In these circumstances, ENO did their best at the last moment and it is ridiculous to suggest that performers, musicians and the people who are involved in mounting the production should have simply cancelled or given people their money back or arranged a reduction on top of all the other things that go on behind the scenes.

I thoroughly enjoyed the performance and witnessed the roar of approval of the audience at the end. Bravo ENO!
Mike Schirn, Woodford Green

This reminded me that back in the '80s, during a live BBC televised broadcast of Carmina Burana at the Proms, Thomas Allen fainted under the hot TV lights and was replaced after a very short delay by a 'Prommer' who had been studying the part at the Royal College of Music. The show certainly did 'go on'.
Harry Hagan, Bury, Lancs

One of the best opera experiences I have had was at ENO earlier this year when pre-curtain announcement was made that the highly lauded tenor lead in the Elixir of Love was ill and so was his understudy and they hadn't found anyone else who could sing the part in English.

So they brought in a young man fresh from singing it in Europe in Italian. He was excellent, but the comedy of the opera really took off when another lead sung the "conversational" bits with him in Italian but made all the asides in English.

The Italian singer brought the performance to a halt with his tear-jerking singing of the famous aria in the third act. Great fun, wonderful night despite missing the pin-up on the posters. I hope ENO is is not making a habit of letting its singers and understudies all get ill at the same time.
Hilary Chivall

These things happen on a live performance and it adds to the overall experience. I will never forget the performance in the ROH of Palestrina where the rain came into the auditorium and I was praying that they would not stop the performance which was sublime.
Conxita Costart, London

We saw the Pearl Fishers last week too and the production and other singers were so good that we barely noticed the lack of Alfie Boe. Earlier in the season a similar thing happened with Elixir of Love when the substitute did not know the part in English. Andrew Shore switched languages according to who he was singing with! It was superb.
Elaine Fairless

Your guest who complained about the ENO performance of Pearl Fishers using two understudies failed to mention that the tenor who actually sang the role from the wings was William Burden, currently rehearsing Don Ottavio in Mozart's Don Giovanni at Glyndebourne.

He sang exquisitely and I can't imagine that anyone in the audience felt hard done by, even if the use of a mute understudy provided a confusing visual image on stage.

A word of praise from your guest for the tenor who stood in at such short notice and gave so fine a performance would have been welcome.
Stephen Brook, London

I was at the ENO on Thursday and both Alfie Boe and his understudy could not sing. ENO had rapidly recruited William Burden who was in rehearsal at Glyndebourne to sing Nadir's role from the side, but he had to sing in French while the understudy acted silently.

It worked well and we had a thoroughly enjoyable evening - at £12.80 in the Balcony. Well done ENO.
John Clark, London

I'm not sure that the situation described by the Independent's columnist relating to the understudy's understudy standing on the side of the stage singing the part is so unusual.

I was present at Covent Garden last year when a similar situation occurred and several years ago the soprano was taken ill after the second act during a production of Aida in Verona. At ROH everyone really appreciated the performance and gave a huge ovation at the end.

In Verona we had to wait almost an hour while the understudy was found and warmed up. If you talk to regular opera goers most people have had similar experiences.

I also recall an instance at Covent Garden when a dancer was injured and another member of the company who just happened to be in the theatre took over in costume but without make-up. The show must go on.
Carolyn Calcutt, Surbiton

We were at the Thursday night performance.The emergency substitute (from Glyndebourne) for the ailing Alfie Boe and his understudy was excellent, singing in French, but fortunately the ENO singer for the other male lead knew the French version for the famous duet.

Great orchestra, lovely set and full marks for 'the show must go on' to the whole ENO company. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Linda Hilbrown, St. Albans, Herts

I was there on Saturday night, having come back a second time in a few days to see this production of The Pearl Fishers.

An opera is far more that just one singer, no matter how good (and Alfie Boe is very good). Apart from the other principals, this show is a huge spectacular work of art in its setting, there is beautiful music, fine acting, and of course the incomparable ENO chorus.

In the event, it gave us an excellent opportunity to hear one of the chorus in a solo role and David Martin was brilliant, especially as he had just ten minutes in the interval to prepare for the part.

I would like to hear other members of the chorus given a chance to take on a principal part, as these singers are literally the unsung heroes of the opera.
Keith Wait, Twickenham

I wasn't at the performance of The Pearlfishers on Saturday evening, but am able to correct Mr Wait on one point: the tenor who stood in on Saturday was David Newman (not David Martin). The reason I know is because David Newman is one of my churchwardens in the parish of Walton-on-Thames.

I'm glad, but not surprised, that Mr Wait thought David was "brilliant". It's unfortunate that some of the press coverage on whether or not the ENO management should have taken a different course of action seems to have overshadowed the remarkable achievement of this fine tenor who saved the show with virtually no notice.

Incidentally, last summer I went with my son to the ROH production of the Barber of Seville, with an excellent Rosina (Joyce di Donato) singing from a wheelchair and a tenor miming on stage, while his last-minute replacement, Toby Spence, sang from the side of the stage. These things happen, as the critic from the Independent should know. I'm glad last Saturday's audience gave David the ovation he deserved.
Charles Stewart, Walton-on-Thames

I remember the unforgettable night when during a performance of Palestrina it started to rain, quite heavily, on the ROH's auditorium. Some of the stall's audience continued watching the opera under the umbrellas kindly provided by the ROH. Thankfully the performance continued.
Conxita Costart, London

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