Opera Scotland

Pagliacci 1973Tayside Opera

Read more about the opera Pagliacci

Pagliacci, as usual, followed Cavalleria Rusticana in this successful autumn pairing that, with an orchestra of over 30, packed out the Whitehall for a week. The company's leading baritone, Bill Dewar, doubled as Director for both works, leaving Alfio in Cav in the more than capable hands of young Donald Maxwell.

While preparations were probably every bit as fraught as usual, there was one particularly publicity-worthy occurrence in the run-up to opening night. The props team had succeeded in obtaining from a nearby farm the use of an ancient, redundant cart. With a bit of attention it would be ideal for the players' transport. It was duly delivered to the Whitehall, and parked outside the Stage Door for a couple of hours to await the attentions of the paint crew. In those days, the Whitehall was surrounded by high-walled mill buildings, long since demolished, and the street was long and narrow, without side turnings. When the crew went out to fetch the cart it had vanished. Not a sign of it. A search was begun. Even the local Police got involved. At last it was located, on a patch of waste ground a few hundred yards away, handily perched in pride of place on top of a bonfire, in preparation for the approaching 5 November. It was at length liberated from the boys who had 'found' it, and returned to the paint shop, in time to appear on stage transformed into appropriately bright Mediterranean colours.