Despite his trademark irony, which could have been used to startling Weakest Link effect, he adopts a friendly, sympathetictonewith the contenders - again a departure from the original quizmaster and a nod to Millionaire's Chris Tarrant.
Baritone David Pittsinger etched asympathetic cameo as Blanche's aristocratic father, and as her brother, tenor Paul Appleby sang with honeyed tone in the scene where he bids Blanche farewell the closest thing this opera has to a love duet.