At the request of the Irish Government the Riverdance Flying Squad was invited to stage a one hour private show in honour of His Excellency Mr. Zhu Rongji, Premier of the People's Republic of China and Madame Lao An. The evening was hosted by the former Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and Islands, Ms Síle de Valera, TD.

For this event the production team worked with the client for several weeks to tailor the Riverdance performance. The fit-up began three days before the event. The production team built the stage, raised a motorised lighting rig over-head, built two follow-spot towers and brought in seating for an audience of 200 people. The 35 performers arrived the day before the event for a full technical rehearsal.

"We gave the Flying Squad a challenging assignment - to build a full-scale theatre inside a beautiful 17th-century hall in Dublin, and to mount a special performance of Riverdance there for the visit to Ireland of the Chinese Premier and his wife. At all times the Flying Squad team impressed with their incisive, professional approach and their 'can-do' attitude. Their attention to detail was also much appreciated. The show itself made a powerful impression on both Chinese and Irish guests."

Eugene Downes
Arts consultant, broadcaster and producer of the cultural programme for State Visits

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