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Ellen Kent reflects on some of the challenges she has faced in importing opera to the UK from Eastern Europe.

Last year?s Orange Revolution in the Ukraine focused minds worldwide on politics, but mine needed to be on opera. A five-month tour by the Ukrainian National Opera of Odessa was booked into theatres from Aberdeen to Torquay; and I was determined it would go ahead. Meanwhile, the political turmoil led to a demand for an uneconomic fee ? and, to make matters worse, the company, usually resident at Eastern Europe?s finest opera house, was homeless due to renovation. Sets were spread out across the city and rehearsal rooms were at a premium.

Importing opera to Britain from Eastern Europe has always provided challenges, overcome with determination and fast thinking but there are some situations, like the revolution, which are wholly unexpected. One challenge that arises more regularly ? but is just as much of a headache ? is visa administration. The issuing of work permits for Eastern European companies is a long, labour intensive process: contacting the Home Office in the UK, speaking to British Embassies abroad, and as the companies travel by road, visas are required for travel through many other European countries, each with their own requirements. It can take months to co-ordinate. The lengthy process of getting visas stamped in different countries, the transaction being processed by different Embassies, changing soloists and reams of paperwork add to complications. Then there are the unexpected incidents ? a soloist taken ill, diverse weather conditions affecting dates of travel or unforeseen political issues. When the British Embassy visa section in Bucharest was closed in 2003 due to a corruption scandal, our visas were still being processed and the whole operation had to be diverted. After long negotiations with the British Government the visas were finally processed in Kiev, just in time for the tour to start in Britain.

With Europe expanding, these challenges will ease but it is not just Europe we deal with. Sets are largely constructed in Moldova or Odessa and special effects come from any-where around the world. Air-freighting fountains from India and water features from America can cause a few heart-stopping moments but professionalism pulls everything together on time.

As for the tour where we faced the Ukrainian revolution, it took place as planned, though not without much horse-trading and argy-bargy. At one point, I discovered that the set wouldn?t be used for the last rehearsal and held a one-woman sit-in on stage; the set turned up soon afterwards. I suppose you could describe my demonstration as an ironic comment on events in Kiev, but of course that wasn?t my intention. As always, I just wanted to get the show on the road.

Ellen Kent is Managing Director of Opera and Ballet International.
t: 01634 819141; w: http://www.ellenkent.com