The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden is not the usual haunt of the autograph ‘zombies’, but they followed my into the unknown after I told them I was heading to the venerable venue to get Placido Domingo. “Oh, that’s the bird from Sesame Street” one said, which summed up their motive and subsequent movement. One of the famous Three Tenors, Domingo had turned baritone and was performing Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra in a late career move.

The Opera House staff looked just as puzzled as the zombies, who wandered around the foyer, pocketing all the printed promotional pamphlets in preparation for Placido’s pen.

The opera-going elite left their hugely expensive seats expecting to be the first to the stage door to meet the superstar, only to meet the human fringe on a cultural cringe. So they rattled their jewellery at the back of the line. Placido remained behind the security desk inside the stage door and we were ushered in 10 at a time. As you would expect, he was gracious and charming, even when one of the zombies asked him if he could get Kermit’s siggy for him.