A person should have many interests. That James and I share more than those operatic was demonstrated in the course of a filmed interview we were doing yesterday; mid-flow we broke off in that weird stream of consciousness way to talk about Des Lynam, football and Fulham FC (who neither of us supports but we do have an acquaintance with their manager). If the director of the shoot was perturbed by this he didn't show it and allowed us to find our own way back onto the issue at hand (opera). More about why we were in this situation may become known in due course but it was quite an illuminating moment for all concerned.
By Saturday morning the bulk of the theatre will be complete. Then for the detail. Our PR company are on board, the box office is in full swing and preparations for the first few events of the season are well under way.
Friday, 9 April 2010
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
Wow
Up with the lark and in at site by seven tomorrow - we begin the process of internal walling for the backstage and need to check final layouts. I can honestly (but a little sheepishly) say that I am like a kid with a new toy over the new backstage. It all feels very similar to when, at five years old, we went to visit our new flat to which we would soon move from our cosy slum in Shepherds Bush. The flat had a bath and I insisted that I sit in it because I had never seen a fitted bath before. The contrast between the previous cabin village and this new facility is about as vast as my slum and the new flat. Actually, I think my slum was better appointed than our old backstage.
Today was crazy and rewarding - so much has risen from the ground in one day. At this rate - touch wood etc etc - the company will arrive to a beautifully finished theatre for a change. I have already decided what changes I am making next year!
Today was crazy and rewarding - so much has risen from the ground in one day. At this rate - touch wood etc etc - the company will arrive to a beautifully finished theatre for a change. I have already decided what changes I am making next year!
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
Ooops
The title of this blog is not an indication that mistakes, per se, have been made but a few issues today - as easily resolved as they were at the time -served as reminders that in a whole new build schedule and method, one can run up against the smallest problems that hadn't been considered. In each case a solution that is better than the original idea was found so its all good. And the sun was shining.
The other "oops" is that we seem to have underestimated the appeal of Forza so James is busily trying to see if an extra show is feasible. A good "oops" I think you will agree. Watch this space to find out if he manages it.
The floor of the new backstage was installed today and looks like the centre court at Wimbledon and we'll need a windsock on there just in case any struggling light aircraft try to land on it.
The other "oops" is that we seem to have underestimated the appeal of Forza so James is busily trying to see if an extra show is feasible. A good "oops" I think you will agree. Watch this space to find out if he manages it.
The floor of the new backstage was installed today and looks like the centre court at Wimbledon and we'll need a windsock on there just in case any struggling light aircraft try to land on it.
Monday, 5 April 2010
Go forth and prosper
I'm itching for the week to get underway; a long weekend is a challenge when you have a 19 month old who hasn't mastered the art of entertaining herself for more than five minutes. After your five hundredth 'this is the way the lady rides", or you thousandth "row, row, row your boat", builders, trucks, cranes and hammering is idyllic by comparison. And indeed over the next few days we'll see lots of the above.
I got into a bit of a row with somebody over Carmen. She insisted that the Prosper Merimee novella was lovely and moving and, and, and .. I couldn't work out what bearing that had on the fact I find the opera about as tedious as it is possible to and that I don't know of any opera whose characters I could care less about. She launched into a treatise on the wonderful Spanish culture and was undeflected by my pointing out that both the source text and the opera were created by Frenchmen who were indulging in the sort of cultural caricature that we see in the oriental parts of the repertoire. To be honest I was wasting my time; I had been considering reading the Merimee but she has put me right off and I think I will move straight to Hugo's 'Le Roi s'amuse' in preparation for Rigoletto in 2011.
There simply is no point arguing with me about Carmen.
I got into a bit of a row with somebody over Carmen. She insisted that the Prosper Merimee novella was lovely and moving and, and, and .. I couldn't work out what bearing that had on the fact I find the opera about as tedious as it is possible to and that I don't know of any opera whose characters I could care less about. She launched into a treatise on the wonderful Spanish culture and was undeflected by my pointing out that both the source text and the opera were created by Frenchmen who were indulging in the sort of cultural caricature that we see in the oriental parts of the repertoire. To be honest I was wasting my time; I had been considering reading the Merimee but she has put me right off and I think I will move straight to Hugo's 'Le Roi s'amuse' in preparation for Rigoletto in 2011.
There simply is no point arguing with me about Carmen.
Sunday, 4 April 2010
Easter
I am afraid that neither Easter nor Christmas carries much religious significance for me personally - if it did perhaps I would enjoy them more. Interestingly (for me anyway) many operas carry a heavy religious content and the struggles with their religious beliefs - or the horrors they commit in His name - that characters endure or enjoy do fascinate me. There are many examples of course but for me this is best encapsulated in Tosca (not the only Puccini with such a plot curve). I don't know many people who agree with my opinion of why Tosca kills Scarpia but I doubt I'd elucidate on it over dinner with a Catholic priest.
By the way I had a nice lunch in Hampstead and won a two foot chocolate bunny in a free raffle. The true message of Easter for most!
I have also been reading some of the articles that have been written for our programme. Along with Tony Holden's lovely story of the process of Da Ponte's creation of the Don G libretto, I was very taken with Michael Tanner's humanist view of Fidelio and he draws a straight line between what Beethoven wanted to convey and the interpretation of the piece by director Olivia Fuchs. It is well known that our production was the first to use Guantanamo as an analogy and it shows, if nothing else, that the world still struggles with the principles of liberty and justice - even a nation founded on those very principles. Interestingly, when I receive letters from people complaining about modern productions, they almost always accuse the director of arrogance, of daring to change what the composer wanted. Well even setting aside the historical contexts and time lines of those composers, I'd venture quite strongly that if he'd been alive to see something like Guantanamo, Beethoven would have declared; "that's exactly what I meant".
By the way I had a nice lunch in Hampstead and won a two foot chocolate bunny in a free raffle. The true message of Easter for most!
I have also been reading some of the articles that have been written for our programme. Along with Tony Holden's lovely story of the process of Da Ponte's creation of the Don G libretto, I was very taken with Michael Tanner's humanist view of Fidelio and he draws a straight line between what Beethoven wanted to convey and the interpretation of the piece by director Olivia Fuchs. It is well known that our production was the first to use Guantanamo as an analogy and it shows, if nothing else, that the world still struggles with the principles of liberty and justice - even a nation founded on those very principles. Interestingly, when I receive letters from people complaining about modern productions, they almost always accuse the director of arrogance, of daring to change what the composer wanted. Well even setting aside the historical contexts and time lines of those composers, I'd venture quite strongly that if he'd been alive to see something like Guantanamo, Beethoven would have declared; "that's exactly what I meant".
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