The Picture Says It All

Photo from here

I don't do predictions – just ask my bookie, Knuckles ap Kneecaps. My speciality is more Things I'd Like to See Happen in 2010 / 2011. Call them whims, moans and wishes, in no scientific order of preference the list goes something like this…

5. S4C / BBC Wales to record at least one performance out of each of the seasons. That is a grand total of three operas. Not many. If both these organisations, who have the brief of reporting on Welsh life, would lose a rugby match here, an obscure Katherine Jenkins documentary there I'm sure they could fit in the filming of performances for the benefit of those who can't make it to the theatres, at the same time preserving the work that goes on at WNO.

3. The management of the Wales Millennium Centre to put up better signs for the toilets. After several years of pointing the confused members of society towards the wc's I'm in possession of enough evidence to say that the original signs just aren't working. I can't fault the toilets themselves – top notch, just as long as aimers hit their targets…

8. A younger audience. To be fair the age of the audience at WMC is quite varied but on certain nights I feel quite young, which I don't mind given the realisation that my significant birthdays now fall every ten years. However, for the sake of future audience figures it would be nice to see an influx of younger folk in attendance as they will be the oldies of the future.

7. People travelling up from London to quit moaning about the time it takes to get out of the WMC at the end of the night. Of course not every visitor moans but having experienced the traffic jam in the Amphitheatre at Covent Garden quite a few times and then taken part in the demolition derby that's the cloakroom in comparison getting out of WMC isn't the major hassle some people suggest it is. I agree that there should be an extra set of lifts on either side of the building but generally speaking it isn't a huge slog to leave the Armadillo.

89. I decide on Hairman, HairMan or Hair Man as my name.

21. If #5 proves a bit of a struggle how about BBC Radio Wales / Cymru recording the performances? Lose a rugby match here, a Katherine Jenkins concert there...

2. A suitable replacement for John Fisher is found. I don't want to see a rushed appointment that fails to work out, but at the same time I wouldn't want any extra pressure to fall on Lothar Koenigs' shoulders. Stability really is the key and the sooner WNO can find a replacement the better for the company as a whole.

9. Surtitles failure. For some reason the English surtitles at the WMC can go AWOL from time to time but luckily for me I can speak / read / write / dream in Welsh so I slide my eyes to the right to read the Cymraeg. However, many people (including Welsh folk) can't understand the Welsh surtitles so my wish is that the English surtitles don't succumb to exhaustion as much this year.

34. Sweet suckers. So you eat sweets – I don't care. So you unwrap them during the quietest bits, ummmmm, I care. So after the final curtain has gone down you've left your rubbish behind – I really care. If you're too lazy to take your rubbish with you, don't bring it in the first place.

54. Stop moaning so much. I'll try.