A LARGE contingent of financial types flew in from London or the Dublin Theatre Festival's opening of Dealer's Choice. The play, written by Patrick Marber and performed by the Royal National Theatre, came to the Gaiety weighed down with awards and glowing reviews, although many among the opening night audience seemed underwhelmed.
Reuters sponsored the event hence the London influx and their corporate guests could be easily spotted on Tuesday night they were the ones in black tie and smart dresses. They included Dr Miriam Stoppard the TV doctor and baby care guru who was wearing a rather show stopping combo of a sparkling ankle length dress and a leather biker's jacket. She was there as a guest of Reuters chairman Sir Christoper Hogg. The black tie instruction on the invite certainly made for a more glamorous than usual first night audience with Sky news woman Linda Duffin and her escort Robert Doyle, Bank of Ireland's Jim Ruane and his art aficionado wife Frances, and ACC's John McCluskey and his wife Kathleen, standing out from the crowd.
Afterwards the Reuters party split in two the more serious set headed for supper at the St Stephen's Green Club (the choice was fish stew or Irish stew not perhaps the lightest fare for 11 p.m. in the evening) while the younger set went around the corner for a more lively meal at La Stampa.