Aida at the Pyramids

Maybe two weeks ago Scotty stumbled on a blog which listed events taking place in Cairo. We've been moaning ever since we arrived here about how difficult it is to find out about what's going on in Cairo. The newspaper only lists a few events that are taking place the coming week - no advanced listings and only a few venues have a website to show bookings but it's not possible to book tickets for these online or by phone. A few blogs list upcoming events, but their listings are patchy and will not show anything for weeks before.  Then suddenly information appears about something happening tomorrow.

So Scotty found the blog which lists upcoming events and its pretty good. One event listed is "Aida at the Pyramids" which sounds too good to be true. The blog author is skeptical and says that this event is being run by the Cairo Opera House, but it isn't advertised on their website or posters, but he has heard it is taking place. In a later post the author updates that he has gone downtown to the Opera House (as this is the only way to get tickets for an event there - no phone or web bookings) and spoken to their Box Office Manager who has confirmed that the event is taking place around 6th October weekend (National Holiday), and that seats are 100, 200 or 300LE. The blog author now has tickets and so it seems that this event might actually be happening.

Although we're really run off our feet with work and really feeling the effects of 6-day weeks (plus working at home at the weekend and evenings) we decide that this is to good to pass up and we'd really regret it if we didn't make the effort to go. So one evening after coming home from work I take the Metro to Opera station with the hope of buying tickets (and confirming for ourselves that this is taking place) for us and a few friends.
I get down there and ask for tickets using a bit of Arabic, but they see that my Arabic isn't great and so find me an English-speaking assistant straight away. I don't mind as this at least means I can ask a few questions and be sure about what I am buying tickets for. It's really easy and he has the seating plan up on the screen in no time confirming the day and time for the performance, and that it indeed is at the pyramids. I get our tickets for the Thursday night and the top price are 200LE each. The tickets say the words "Aida" and "Sound and Light" so I've either got tickets for "Aida at the Pyramids" or the most expensive sound and light show ever!

I head home excited, pleased but still a little unsure.

So yesterday we get a bus with friends at 6pm from Maadi to the pyramids for the show. This seems very early, but in true Egyptian style our tickets say 8pm start but the two online posters we've seen say 7.30pm start (still no actual posters around town) and we've heard that seats are unreserved and we know that traffic on a Thursday night can be a nightmare - hence allowing a good amount of time to get there!

The traffic is a nightmare, but eventually it clears and somehow it takes us around 45 minutes to get there!
When we arrived there's incredible levels of organisation to suggest that it is really happening! There are police all around and lanes are being enforced, and all vehicles being sniffed by dogs (K-9 security team, not random baladi dogs on the street). We show our tickets and walk through to the sound and light area and gradually we see this amazing stage set up, light rigs all over the place, cushioned seats set out and an orchestra pit - we've hit the jackpot!

We get good seats on the second rake in the centre block and sit back to enjoy the show. We saw this same production in the Opera House itself last year when mum came out to visit. It was a good production although there were a few "Egyptian" moments with wobbly scenery and Ethipoian slave children, so it will be interest to see how it translates to being performed outside.

We really enjoy ourselves and the production is great. The sets they use are very simple, but very effective with the lighting changes. This lighting comes into its own though in the second scene of the First Act when the temple pillars are pulled back to reveal the Sphinx and Great Pyramid lit up beautifully as a perfect backdrop - cameras out everybody!

The sound from the orchestra pit and on stage is wonderful thanks to a sound crew who really seem to know what they're doing.  At the end of Act One we are treated to the mystical sounds of the off-stage chorus being carried on the evening air.  Our favourite bits remain and we manage to get a short video on my small Cannon Ixus of the Ethiopian slave dance (brown leotards?!) and the Triumphal March which is amazing with the Pyramids and Sphinx lit up and most of the cast filling the stage.