Judge and Jury: No bouquets for a performance aiming to bring the house down - Communications inconsistencies took their toll on the major players when Chris Smith announced his proposed changes to London’s opera scene, says Chris Crowcroft, manag

This is a story of management overtaken by events. In varying degrees, the leadership of the two main players - the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and the Royal Opera - have not consistently followed the same script. Important constituencies for the Royal Opera remain uninformed.