I love the Barbican - in my fantasy London it's where I would live. It’s just the most amazing conglomeration of apartments and public spaces all built around a long lake and 3 angular towers. Plus of course 3 theatres, a concert hall, a cinema, bars, restaurants, and a library. Probably a gym in there somewhere too if that's the sort of thing that floats your boat. OK – it can look a little bit neo-brutalist on first acquaintance and even it’s biggest fan would admit that finding your way around it if you don’t know exactly where you are and where you’re going is challenging at best and ‘Never mind we missed the start of our show – how do we get out of here’ impossible at worst. But I love it anyway.

The point of all this rambling is because myself, Mac, Hari & Hari’s Dad all managed to find each other without any difficulty last night – which is fairly unprecedented. OK we were late but we were all there. And we were all there to see Cosi Fan Tutte. I have sometimes been a bit disparaging of the opera. And I might have fallen asleep in Tristan & Isolde, but not last night. It was fantastic – just brilliant. Totally reminded me of why I go to the opera anyway. When it all comes together it’s utterly stunning - Mozart rules. Puccinni is Mozart’s bitch. It was an ENO performance so in English and for once the enunciation was sufficiently clear to actually be able to follow the plot. And because it’s Mozart it’s funny as well. ENO are hanging out at the Barbican while renovations are going on at the Coliseum. I hope that goes OK cos if they fuck it up they are in so much trouble. To describe ENO’s recent form as anything other than ‘troubled’ would be pretty generous. Not corruption – just wild incompetence and infighting. So good luck guys. If you can keep up performances like last night’s you’ll have no trouble.

Unfortunately your new season looks a bit shit.