Geneva’s Opera House (Le Grand Théâtre) dates from 1879. It was significantly destroyed by fire in 1951 and re-opened in 1962. There was renovation in 1997/1998 which upgraded the scenery machinery, including electronically controlled and programmable automation; the opening demonstration was a delight for techies but a bit of an over-kill for the general public judging by the sighs after more than 15 minutes of fully automated movement of the suspension beams – set to music.

Our video results from an open day on 16th March 2013 – we could visit the whole theater – look down onto the stage from above, enjoy more demonstrations of scenery manipulation, make-up artistry, and much more. This post is back-dated to the actual event, but the video is made in December 2017 triggered by the Grand Théâtre documentary on its move to again temporary accommodation (l’Opéra des Nations) while the real building is undergoing major renovation work.