The Unexpected Interruption

It was ⁢1987, and the audience members of Swan Lake were sitting lost in ‍wonderment before their enjoyment quickly turned to horror.

“Please evacuate the ⁢theatre immediately.” To⁤ this day, those ⁣robotic words⁣ still echo ⁤in my mind.

Of‍ course, there is no reasoning with an intercom. And just like that, the curtain came down on our performance.

These⁢ weren’t the luxurious velvet curtains we were used to,but rather a forbidding metal shutter conventionally used ‍to mitigate fire damage.

I happened to be performing the night Cork Opera House descended into chaos. Only, on this occasion, the drama⁣ was unfolding‍ off stage.

A Dancer’s Outlook

Back then, I wasn’t ⁢preoccupied with fires or bomb scares. I had just one thing on my mind and that was ballet.

While the other blokes‍ were preparing in the dressing room, I had changed ⁢like lightning so that I⁣ could race downstairs and watch⁣ the swans in action.

There⁣ I was, waiting patiently in the wings for ⁤my performance – the‍ Spanish dance in act three.it was here that I witnessed the fire curtain plunge ⁤the stage into darkness.

Audible gasps from⁢ the crowd ⁤filled the theatre. Thay stifled the music wafting from‍ the orchestra pit which, bar a few strings, had been all but muted.

It must have been one of‍ the most bizarre sights Cork Opera House ‍has ever bore witness to as dozens of swans took flight.

Only this time, it wasn’t across a stage but through the ⁢exit on to Lavitt’s quay.

The cold⁣ Reality of Lavitt’s Quay

It was a juxtaposing ⁤scene⁢ as dancers endured the biting November cold in flimsy tutus for the bones ⁤of an hour.

My costume for the Spanish ‍dance was ⁣more forgiving,and covered ⁣me from ⁤head to toe. I can’t⁣ say⁣ any of us were so much as vaguely⁢ embarrassed ‍by the spectacle.

While ⁤some of the younger dancers⁣ might ⁢have experienced a fleeting rush of panic, there were no histrionics.

This is to be⁤ expected in ballet. How many people⁣ do you know with ⁤careers that‍ involve ‍standing in front of a mirror for eight or nine⁤ hours a day judging themselves?

This will give you an idea of the constitution required to be a ballerina.

Joan Denise Moriarty’s Composure

Joan Denise Moriarty -⁣ who was our artistic director at the time ⁤- was no⁣ different. If ⁢the disaster had rattled her she didn’t show ⁣it.

Cork Opera House: ⁤A Historical Overview

The Cork Opera House,