Inundated

Not me actually, but the orchestra pit at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

I braved the serious cold and Virgin Trains to meet up with a good friend to go to the final dress rehearsal of "The Flying Dutchman".

We had excellent seats and Bryn Terfel was singing the main role. Even better, my adored Andris Nelsons was conducting.
Kasper Holten, the Director of Opera, proudly introduced the proceedings, reminding us that it is a rehearsal and that things just Might go wrong.

Apart from a stuck curtain at Sleeping Beauty, I've never known anything to go awry.

Andris struck up the well known overture with great gusto. They had a dramatic rain effect in which water was pouring onto the stage. (There was also a comically wafting curtain with a guy in the wings with a mask)

I was sitting fairly close and could see that the water was running forward rather ominously. I was wondering if they would get through the whole of the rousing music without mishap, and I noticed it was coming over the edge. The cellos were underneath and I heard someone yell, "Stop".

They did. The musicians got clear and Kasper had to return.

Mopping up and changing the carpet followed and we got underway. Poor Kasper. He had to come back and explain that we'd have to do without the rain :-)

It was magnificent. My friend had never been to any Wagner operas, and he was extremely impressed.

The lighting was too low for any pics of the drama, so here's part of the Apple Market before we got started.