A TOUCH of good old British farce mingled with Italian and Spanish music and dancing at Citalia’s annual World Travel Market shindig last week.
The operator’s overseas partners are always given a slap-up dinner for their efforts.
As if that’s not enough, each and every one is given a free gift, which this year looked suspiciously like a giant gold-plated paper clip.
Three opera singers rounded the evening off with a version of Nessun Dorma. Cries of ‘encore’ – or the Italian equivalent – echoed round the Mandarin Oriental Hotel at the end of their performance and the warblers eventually re-emerged back on stage.
Unfortunately, the piano player had long gone, having made a run for it the minute the official performance ended.
For what seemed an age, the operatic threesome awkwardly pondered their next move as the expectant audience waited with baited breath.
As Backchat prepared to stand in and treat the crowds to a rousing rendition of chopsticks, a waiter bolted from the room to make a quick search.
Then he reappeared, to loud cheers, with the wandering tinkler. As the old saying goes, it’s not all over ’til the fat lady sings.