Bangkok Diary

12th September

The advance party of technicians and I had an excellent journey on Austrian Airlines and easily made the 30 minute change in Vienna. Not sure how easy it will be for the rest of the Technicians tomorrow when they also have to bring 400Kg of excess baggage containing the Lighting Board and Moving Lights. We needed them up until Saturday night for Dracula so they had to wait to be sent. Still it’s not really our problem to get them on the flight but will be our problem if they don’t arrive!!

Dusit Thani Hotel is excellent and everybody is delighted with their rooms. Today the crew start to rig in the theatre but can only get so far as the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra have a concert tomorrow night and we can only rig what can be hidden above the stage. Our priority is the Foys Flying tracks which are obviously vital for the performances and will be the make or break for the success of the performances. Adam from Foys is confident that he will make it work somehow!!

Last night I was invited to a performance of Madame Butterfly (the opera) performed by the Hungarian National Opera, which was stunning. Beautifully sung and the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra played magnificently. We are fortunate that they will also be playing for Peter Pan. The pre-performance reception hosted by BMW was full of the cream of Bangkok society and I sat with the Hungarian Ambassador.

John Pryce-Jones arrived this morning and has his first rehearsal with the orchestra this evening.

The diary for the week is getting full with dinner for the company at the promoter's (Mr Uberoi) house on Wednesday evening, a reception hosted by the British Ambassador at the Embassy on Thursday evening and a reception hosted by the British Council on the Friday night (opening night). The British Council are part funders of our visit to Bangkok. We are also told that we can expect other significant guests at our performances.

Mark Skipper
Northern Ballet Theatre Chief Executive