Weeks after WA Opera pulled future performances of Carmen because it contained actors smoking, the company has staged Verdi's Il Trovatore, complete with cigarette scenes.
Radio 6PR legal commentator John Hammond said he attended the performance by WA Opera on Thursday night.
Mr Hammond said, despite Carmen being withdrawn to avoid conflict with major sponsor Healthway over smoking scenes, he was not surprised to see cigarettes kept as props for Il Trovatore.
"I actually wasn't surprised to see smoking 'cause I thought it made the whole set look quite realistic," Mr Hammond said.
"I've seen smoking two nights in a row, given that I saw the Rolling Stones who were doing likewise the night before.
"It certainly didn't worry me and I don't believe it worried anyone that was in the audience at the opera last night there wasn't 'ooh' or 'ahhh' because someone, I think in some cases, had a lit cigarette in their mouths.
"I couldn't see smoke coming from them [cigarettes] but it was part of the performance ... it was well and truly part of what the production was about last night.
The company's decision not to consider Carmen, in which the main character works in a tobacco factory and smoking is strongly featured, for its opera in the park event came following the expansion of Healthway sponsorship for the next two years.
Dropping the much-loved classic drew national criticism from WA Premier Colin Barnett to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
Healthway, an independent state government foundation, contibuted $400,000 to the company for its 2015-16 program to educate school children about opera.
"I think Healthway has done tremendous work in Western Australia trying to stop people from smoking and I don't believe anyone there will take up smoking because they saw either Ronnie Wood lighting up on Wednesday night or the participants of Il Trovatore doing it last night," Mr Hammond said.
