We have now confirmed the final opera in the 2008 season (Tchaikovsky's gorgeous Iolanta)so James can get to work on the season in earnest. He is also, of course, getting close to the real gubbins of the 2007 season - rehearsals begin very soon. We'll need as much time as possible to get the 2008 season into shape - there are at least two monumental operas to get on stage (Il trovatore and La Gioconda for starters).
Trepidation, too, about the new theatre. Paper drawings, computer graphics and any amount of imagination will not, I suspect, prepare us for the impact of seeing that vast new roof being raised into position for the first time. I'm also getting sleepless nights about how it will perform as a space. I shouldn't worry, but I am. I suppose we shall know more about how people will behave, space allocations, comfort and acoustic performance etc once we have carried out the test night on 30th May. We are inviting 1000 Friends and supporters for a free night at the theatre to enjoy some excerpts from Nabucco and Jenufa. We'll all be standing around with clipboards taking notes. Ideally, it will be pouring with rain on that evening so we can also see if our covered spaces are sufficient. It will possibly be the most nerve-wracking evening of our lives.
