We had our first sessions today on the set and stage in Bampton, usually a somewhat fraught day when the cast have to renegotiate roles after the relative security of the London rehearsal venue. The weather was kind, and the set proved to be a delight to operate on in terms of space and ambience, thanks to our designer Nigel Hook. Tom, our conductor, was up north in Buxton rehearsing the Northern Chamber Orchestra in readiness for our performances there next week, but we worked under the expert guidance of our repetiteur Charlie Forrest. This was not a costume run, of course, so the photos don't indicate the full effect but there's a glimpse of our set, a gloriously awful London hotel.