At 10:00hrs, following a complimentary breakfast, press and photo call at the National Theatre, the bikers will hit the road. Waving them off at the Theatre Square will be supporters from the stage and screen including: Belinda Lang, Liz Robertson, Ramin Karimiloo (Phantom in Love Never Dies), Tim Pigott-Smith, Issy van Randwyck, Julian and Jamie Glover, Jane How, Trevor Peacock, Tilly Tremayne.
First stop is Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Riders will be given a backstage tour and then continue on to Howard Eaton Lighting for lunch. The day will culminate with diner and a show at Chichester Festival Theatre. The remaining event packed, seven-day trip will take in the following sites and venues: 6 June - The Mill at Sonning, Stonehenge, Bath Theatre Royal; 7 June - Cardiff Millennium Centre, Swansea Grand Theatre, Craig Y Nos, Liverpool; 8 June - The Old Laundry Theatre, Bowness,Theatre on the Lake, Keswick; 9 June - Glasgow; 10 June - Newcastle Gateshead, Richmond; 11 June - J. & C. Joel, Leicester Curve; 12 June - Stratford-Upon-Avon, Burford, London - Hampstead Theatre.
The ride will conclude on Saturday 12 June, just in time for the start of the 2010 Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference.
You can track the First Night Rider's progress, communicate with the participants live and set them challenges - before, during and after the event - on the First Night Riders Blog (see below). Here you will find riders online diaries along with photos and videos of the trip.
First Night Riders is generously supported by a number of industry associations and companies including: ABTT, Blitz Sound, Cameron Mackintosh, ETC, Hall Stage, Harmer PR, Howard Eaton, Charcoalblue, The Fifth Estate, J&C Joel, PLASA, Prompt Side and Triple E Ltd - however there's always room for more!
Taking to the road this year are: Rob Barnard, Neil Collins, David Edelstein, Charles Haines, Darrell Hewitt, Chris Higgs, Simon Nicholls, Al Parkinson, Michael Powell, Mike Cucciare and Bill Sapsis from the USA, Jack Tilbury and Sarah Rushton-Read.
Stephen Pennington with Brenda Edelstein and Robert Hamilton and Scott Miller from Canada will drive the Chase cars.
You can sponsor any one of the participants by following the links on the FNRs website. To pledge your support and sponsor The First Night Riders or to keep track of their progress visit the following websites.
(Jim Evans)
