The Balmoral Hotel provided a beautiful setting for my show recently, where I provided some corporate entertainment in Edinburgh. I was booked to perform a surprise James Bond tribute show at the Chaine Des Rotisseurs Gala Dinner.
The Balmoral has been a landmark in the heart of Edinburgh for over a century, beginning life as a grand railway hotel and now remaining a striking feature of Princes Street with its historic Balmoral Clock and kilted doormen. It was a good choice for a James Bond tribute show, as everyone’s favourite ‘Bond’ – the one and only Sean Connery – officially re-opened the hotel in 1991.
J.K. Rowling is also a fan of this hotel, and obviously found it inspirational, as she stayed here to finish ‘Harry Potter and the deathly hallows’, making the Balmoral something of a pilgrimage for Harry Potter fans.
Did you know that the Balmoral Clock has traditionally always been set three minutes fast, so the people of Edinburgh don’t miss their trains?! How thoughtful! It is set at the right time just one day per year – and as you can probably guess, that is at Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve), so nobody gets confused as to when to set their fireworks off!
The Chaine Des Rotisseurs are an international gastronomic society who celebrate fine food and wine around the world. By the looks of the sumptuous dinner they were served at The Balmoral, they were certainly well catered for in Edinburgh and shown some of our famous Scottish hospitality.
My James Bond / Casino Royale show is perfect for these sort of corporate functions, as it is a show that people can just sit back and listen to. Featuring all the great theme songs from the movies, it includes classics from the 1960s right through to modern day favourites such as Skyfall by Adele, so it has something for everyone.
And here’s Dame Shirley Bassey with a couple of all-time greats that I always make sure I include in the show!
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