‘Seduction, sacrifice and side-splitting satire. 2015 has it all, buy your subscription now…’ says the promotional email for Opera Australia 2015. Save your money, I say. Lately, you don’t actually have to go to the opera to enjoy the side-splitting satire. Everyone’s sides are being split fit to burst at the satire being played out for real by Western Australian Opera, which wanted to cancel Carmen because the cigarette girls, who indeed work in a cigarette factory, are portrayed committing that vilest of modern sins, smoking.