Props and seating for Aida at Aurora

May I clarify some points regarding the letter by Joseph Apap, secretary of the Leone Philharmonic Society in Victoria (Last Week's Aida At The Aurora, October 23), with reference to my review of Aida.

I over-credited Paul Falzon, whom I do not know from Adam, and inadvertently left out the rest of the team responsible for the props. When one lauds the mis-en-scene in general terms its worthiness is understood.

Regarding the few empty and the few extra seats added I could only comment on what I saw from where I was seated. Seated at the side of the penultimate tier is no ideal place for a reviewer but good for noticing the few empty seats: whether unsold (not the case) or allotted to sponsors who fail to occupy them. I take Mr Apap's word for the extra seats but I cannot be blamed for not seeing them.

Now I come back to proper seating for reviewers. A good deal of local bodies have no idea as to where to seat reviewers properly. Either too much in front (but rarely) or at some impossible angle, sideways or high up whereas the ideal is in the middle of the auditorium, with a good overall view of the stage and better placed regarding acoustics. In that case the crook and flail and other Pharaonic paraphernalia would not have been missed. It was only after the performance that I heard about the presence of what looked like the temple of Philae, far to the back of the stage in Act III. I could not see it from where I was, craning my neck sideways most of the time.

All this, stiff neck or no stiff neck, does not lessen my appreciation of the positive aspects of this production.