The past two weekends I have had the opportunity to work part time at the Royal Albert Hall as a member of the catering staff. The royal Albert Hall is one of the premier venues in London, and since its completion in 1871, many of the world’s leaders, performers, and other luminaries have visited or performed here. Case in point, there is a huge celebration next month for Mikhail Gorbachev’s 80th birthday being held in the hall.
The building is a multilevel, domed amphitheatre with all the trappings of a classic European venue: spacious boxes for wealthy patrons, ornate wood and metal work throughout the building, roman style friezes with latin script lining the outside, and, of course, plenty of statues of old Albert to go around. Across the street on the edge of Hyde Park enshrined on a golden throne and surrounded by the imperial vestiges of the Victorian age, Albert sits thoughtfully contemplating his domed namesake opposite him. If that weren’t enough, go directly behind the hall, and yet another statue (less impressive) stares impassively at the Royal School of the Arts (part of Imperial College). While he was the impetus for the vast public works project that included the hall, the nearby Natural History Museum and the other museums along Exhibition Road, sadly, he had been dead for 10 years when it finally was completed (jeez, rough timing . . .)
An interesting blurb about the acoustics of the hall however deserves attention. It used to be said that the hall was the only place where a British composer could be sure of hearing his work twice- so bad were the acoustics. Consequently, hanging from the ceiling, there are massive fiberglass “diffusing discs” which help control the sound. While it does leave a sense of hovering alien spacecraft, the sound is phenomenal.
The show that is currently running is “Totem” a Cirque du Soleil production, and it sadly ends this week to be followed by Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. The dazzling lights, sets and acrobatics captivate the audiences, and I’ve met several people who have said they come to see the production each year. While most people are impressed by the stage work of the actors and athletes, if they knew the complexity of the work behind the scenes, they would be stunned. Unseen by the audience, and running around the labyrinthine corridors and basement hallways is a veritable army of cooks, stage hands, security guards, waiting staff, and managers who work with impressive coordination to put on each of the two shows daily. Provided the building is 140 years old, I’m surprised it’s still able to handle the demands of 21st century productions!
My primary job is with the catering company that is contracted by the hall to provide food and drinks for the thousands of patrons who come on a daily basis. This could mean a variety of tasks which include serving drinks and meals, setting up for events, and even selling ice cream at intermission. The ice cream is in 100 ml containers- and they sell at the outrageous price of 2.75 ($4.40 US). It was amazing to think that when I sold over 199 in one day, I had made them over US $800.
One of the best parts about the job is meeting interesting people who come from all walks of life for part time work. One guy I met last night just graduated in engineering from Warwick, and has been saving up so he can fly to San Diego and walk the length of the west coast to Vancouver over the course of 6 months. Another person is saving up so he can travel around the world and see life outside of England (Africa, South East Asia, Australia, then on to Argentina and back again to England). One girl is from Jersey (as in the island of Jersey in the English Channel) and trying to make it as an actress in London while figuring out life: “The problem with having a supportive family is that no one said I couldn’t do it!”. I met a Nigerian who wanted to leave her country for more opportunity, and is now here in the UK studying law. They represent a slue of countries from Slovakia, South Africa, Columbia, India, and Portugal just to name a few. It is fascinating to hear their stories, and what they are doing currently in London.
While the people are great, the best part is what is in the room in which I usually work. The Elgar Room is housed in one of the 4 square annexes that jut out from the opposite ends of the building. It used to be home to the Central School of Speech and Drama from 1906-1957 where Lawrence Olivier and Dame Judi Dench (among many others) trained and graduated in theatre. Yet in the corner of the room on an elevated stage stands a fantastic red piano- but not just any piano.
It is Elton John’s Red Piano.
Well, at least one of his Red Pianos. But, I got to play it!
He donated it to the Royal Albert Hall, and besides the occasional concert, it just sits there! While I am only allowed to play when customers aren’t there, I can officially say that I have played in the Royal Albert Hall.
Just have to get to Carnegie next.
No comments:
Post a Comment