Conspiracy theories

The idea that a President of the US needs to produce his birth certificate is bewildering. I l like conspiracy theories, even though I usually think them all to be lunacies. It is fun trying to make them fit the outcome that is desired.
I have a conspiracy theory about Opera Holland Park too. I like to fantasise that there is a large contingent in the world of opera who don't like us very much. Like all good CT, there is often one or two things that reinforce the theory; like a recent national newspaper arts editor who decided there would be no reviews of our productions because we are not adventurous enough. That is true. The fact it is specious bollocks doesn't, however, mean that there is a conspiracy theory. It just means the editor in question doesn't get out enough.
There are others too. I am toying with becoming an official pariah in the world of opera, volunteering myself as a rent a quote who criticises all the unspeakable nonsense that happens in the business. One tends to avoid doing that because there is a fear that people won't like you very much if you do that....(erm, hold on. Ed.)

Anyway, back to reality. The theatre is nearly finished and will soon be ready for the company to move in. I shall have a word with James about our adventurousness and enquire firmly about our plans to engage a unicyclist to direct our production of Gerhard Rosenkrone Schjelderup's 'Sampo Lapolil'. That should get that arts editor salivating.

An Everest to climb

The wavy line of progress with the build continues to frustrate. Every year we make it more efficient and quicker too, but that only demonstrates how much quicker still we could make it. One solution often produces another problem or even more enraging is the solution that only solves ninety percent of the problem! Still, we are ahead of schedule and the theatre stands tall.  The fantastic cent weather has ben a lift but means we haven't yet been able to test the new drainage we installed along the canopy line. Now we are into finishing and aesthetics so the frilly shirt needs an airing. I have some sympathy with those erecting the new house at Garsington because I remember the strange blend of excitement and dread that a brand new temporary building can give you. Good luck to them.

Yesterday morning was spent conducting a photo shoot at Leighton House with two of our leading ladies for the season - Anna Leese and Elizabeth Llewellyn. Both are very much on the rise in this business and they took to their modelling tasks with aplomb. The terrific photographer Laurie Lewis (still works with film, no lights..aaah) did the shots so I look forward to seeing the results.

Rehearsals begin on Tuesday so the office is buzzing with anticipation. I have a wedding to plan as well and a two year old to toilet train although to be fair, Sally tends to deal with the consequences more than I do.

I shouldn't complain. I just learned that a friend is near the summit of Everest on his latest jaunt. He does that sort of thing. He once won a foot slog man-hauling race to the North Pole.

Pah!

The first day of online booking was yesterday and I haven't had a perforated ulcer, punched anybody or even had to raise my voice. This is news because that first day is normally a catalogue of minor technical hitches or once in a while, major calamities. A nice orderly queue formed in our virtual waiting room (although I believe some had problems with that) and a few thousand tickets were politely sold. To be fair, I think the removal of the Inspire seats from online sale probably helped since a few thousand people would normally be bombarding the site at 10am. I understand that many are not hugely enamoured of our decision to do that but I think things will be a little fairer at least.

It has been a week of continued building. Many of the structures are up and the seating stand should be all finished and dressed by Wednesday.

I have now recovered from the martini fest I partook of with the great director of our brilliant Forza Martin Duncan. Which brings me to my latest irritation. We are all a little gruff in the office because having been nominated in five categories for the Royal Philharmonic Society awards (including one for the aforementioned Forza which was hailed as something of a miracle of it's type) we haven't made the shortlist of any. I ought to beware what I say here but suffice to say I think there is more than a strange whiff surrounding the whole process. I wonder if they are desperate to merely distinguish themselves from the Classical Brits? Still, in an attempt to elbow our way into the elite (we can't get 400k from the arts council for four performances of a new opera so we don't stand a chance in the education category) we are initiating a nose flute weekend in Castle Douglas. Albanian folk music will be the subject and a real ale from the area will be our sponsor.I think we will be a shoe-in. I'm not bitter, but the beer will be.

Back in the real world, we are very close to the start of rehearsals. So much wonderful music and drama is in store, delivered by some gloriously talented people to full houses every night. Who needs awards eh?

Odd times

Crisp, bright mornings are a good way to start the week. They also help blow away the cobwebs of a late night, incurred as a result of a very nice charity event that OHP contributed to last night. The evening's entertainment was punctuated by a fall by a guest that required the attendance of the London Ambulance Service.  Thankfully she appears to be more or less fine. I think she had been momentarily dazzled by the diamanté strip running through Sean Ruane's bow tie. He prefers to think she merely swooned at his "una furtive lagrima" but I fear I heard her muttering "I was waiting for it to spin" as she was gently lifted onto the gurney.The accident didn't, however, spoil a very nice evening for all there and we wish the charity luck.

Today the seating structure arrives and by this time next week we will have the major bones of the theatre. It is April and we are a heartbeat away from the season.

It is a very strange time in the arts world. Last week's Arts Council cull saw some very unexpected winners and losers. If I could only tell you of the weirdness of my conversations with them  - we had applied for some funding for the Inspire Project. We shall carry on with that project regardless of course, but it was odd to think that it fulfilled all five of their aims yet still fell short. More odd still is the mystery of what happened to a major document we submitted but never reached the assessor...I am not too bothered. However, getting back to the strangeness of the times, it is undoubtedly a rare moment in the fiscal life of British Arts but I have to say I have rarely had so much interest from sponsors and donors.  That might just be part of the natural development of a company whose work is getting so much attention and praise (ahem) but I think there is more to it.  It might not materialise into everything it promises but the signs are very hopeful in this regard at least.

On that same note, it was good to see Opera Northern Ireland getting a good review for their Tosca and nice to see Giselle Allen come out of it so well. Thirteen years ago when she was still quite green she fearlessly took on Mascagni's "Iris" for us. It is a tough time to launch a new opera company and one can only hope the people in that part of the world support them. The idea of a Tosca in different locations is not a new one but it appears to have worked well ...risky too!  Our Tosca of 2008 was set in the late sixties when Europe was in danger of meltdown....James and I need to discuss reviving it!