Restoring the opera house

I visited Malta earlier this month on a cruise ship and was saddened to discover that 63 years after it fell victim to World War II bombing, the site of the old opera house may now be turned into a shopping precinct.

I am an opera singer at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and I feel that the opera house, designed by Edward Barry in the 1860s (whose Charles designed the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and the UK Houses of Parliament) should be restored to its former glory.

Singers from around the globe will then flock to perform there and put Malta back on the EU's cultural map in a way that no shopping mall could ever do. If the country's forefathers had the foresight and drive to create an opera house in the 1860s, today's Maltese deserve more than shops at such an important location.

Malta is a beautiful country with a stunning harbour and the whole place is crying out for the restoration, especially the wonderful houses that line the streets of the centre of Valetta. A restored opera house would act as a catalyst to attract investors and regenerate the area.

Come on, Malta, look to the future and think big: you will all benefit in the long run.