BEN HUR Spectacular to Play ANZ Stadium, 10/22-23

Although BEN HUR will not debut at ANZ Stadium until 22 and 23 October, the mammoth task of moving the production from its home at the Stade de France in Paris to Sydney in now in full swing. Almost immediately after agreements were finalised between Stade de France and ANZ Stadium late last year, the logistical planning for the event was put in place.

"The Roman Empire spanned much of the known world at one time, now we're taking the legendary show across a greater expanse," said BEN HUR Executive Producer, Andrew Guild. "Moving a theatre-based show across the world is a big enough challenge, but doing it with a stadium-scaled production is an enormous enterprise."

The first priority was to ship six enormous four-horse chariots to the Queensland equine training base of Australia's top horse master Tony Jablonski. The man behind the famed Sydney Olympic Games Opening Ceremony had already "auditioned" and selected the 35-strong team of horses that need to be trained for the performance and, specifically, for the spectacular 24 horse chariot race. Two massive shipping containers were carefully loaded in Paris to carry the precious cargo.

The chariots themselves were broKen Down, thoroughly cleaned to conform to Australian Quarantine and Agriculture regulations, and then wrapped. Saddles, harnesses and regalia were cleaned and polished and sealed in special packing.

The chariots finally left France from the Port of Le Havre on 4 April. Delivery to the Queensland training facility is expected by 9 July and is somewhat dependant on AQIS and Custom's clearance.

Meanwhile, costumes, scenery, lighting and sound equipment is being assembled and progressively packed into 33 x 40 foot shipping containers which will leave France by 1 August. Delivery to ANZ Stadium will be on 4 October, just 24 hours before the arena is shutdown in preparation for the event three weeks later.

In mid-October, a convoy of horse floats and semi-trailers will bring the show horses and chariots from Queensland to the Sydney Olympic Park precinct where final rehearsals will take place. The French technical crew arrive progressively during rehearsals to construct the scenery and prepare the arena surface, to set the lights and test sound and video content.

By 16 October, the final shipment of costumes will arrive from Paris and full scale dress rehearsals for BEN HUR will take place.

"The shipping of the BEN HUR chariots, sets and costumes from Paris to Sydney is another unique undertaking for the show," said Andrew Guild. "When moving a theatrical spectacular from one side of the globe to the other, there's nothing bigger than BEN HUR."

Some vital production statistics of BEN HUR:

* ANZ Stadium transforms into a Roman Amphitheatre.
* 1250 tonnes of crushed rock and sand form the staging base.
* The total performance area is 15,000 square metres - almost two football fields.
* Each end of ANZ Stadium is occupied by massive stages representing the Roman Senate and the Town of Judea.
* Among the huge sets is a Roman Galley ship powered by 100 oarsmen.
* 24 horses sourced and trained in Australia race in teams of four in the full-scale chariot race.
* A stage crew of more than 200 works throughout the 10 action-packed scenes Hundreds of theatre lights and a massive sound and video installation 32 x 40 foot containers brought in from France, containing scenery and props.
* There are 400 costumes and hundreds of spears, swords, and shields.
* 70 hotel rooms are required for visiting actors and production personnel.
* The Ben Hur back stage city requires 30 fitted dressing rooms, 12 administration offices, 12 phone lines, and 600 meals per day.
* Food provision for horses is massive 100 kilograms of oats, 250 kilograms of hay, 2,560 litres
of filtered water per day for the stables.

Direct from Europe, the stadium spectacular of BEN HUR, will perform exclusively in Sydney at
ANZ Stadium for two nights only on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 October.

For more information, please visit www.benhur.com.au.

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