We had two openings for the price of one at the Gate Theatre this week. Before the lights went down and As You Like It began, guests were asked to admire an unveiling of another type, when the new entrance to the theatre was revealed in all its pristine newness. "What do you think?" asked Michael Colgan with bated breath. What, you didn't notice? Get back out there and examine it, admire it, touch it. The new granite steps, the tubular hand-rail, the clear canopy.
"It's a minimalist expression," said Ronnie Tallon, of Scott Tallon Walker Architects. "It's not to take away from the classical quality of the building," says the man who celebrates 50 years as an architect this year. His wife, Nora, stands beside him. "I keep them all in order," she explains. "She criticises everything," he quips back with a smile.
More VIPs arrive: Chris de Burgh, John McColgan and Moya Doherty, Laura Magahy, Alexandra McGuinness, daughter of Paul, and Tom Mitchell, provost of TCD. Pat Kenny and his wife Kathy breeze in. Marie-Claire Sweeney, chief executive of St Patrick's Festival, chats to Aisling Kilroy, who is up from Waterford for the night.
She's Tom Kilroy's niece, says Marie-Claire. The man from Switzerland, Dieter Kaegi, artistic director of Opera Ireland at the Gaiety Theatre, chats to Austrian Bruno Schwengl, who designed the set for As You Like It. And they're talking about . . . the Alps, skiing? No, it's all about Aida, which Schwengl is to work on for Opera Ireland's upcoming production.
Jonathan Miller, director of the play, is saying goodbye to everyone as he prepares to fly out the next morning. After a rest in London, he's off to Madrid first, to direct an opera, and then on to New York to direct another one. Also saying goodbye is artist Beth O'Halloran, who flies to Japan tomorrow to spend one month in Okayama. Sayonara to them both, as they say.