23 May 2016
Episode 241
30 minutes
Photo: Salva Lopez
Robert Bound is on board the ‘MSC Preziosa’, somewhere between Rome and Marseille, to find out about the most misunderstood area of the arts: cruise-ship entertainers.
23 May 2016
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DownloadChapter 1
8 minutes
Photo: Salva Lopez
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Franco Pili, cruise director of the ‘MSC Preziosa’, is an old hand with a young heart and matchless energy for running around, talking fluently and constantly in half a dozen languages and being the very voice of the ship. For up to five months at a time Franco takes charge of everything from aerobics classes to the big nightly shows in the 1,600-seater showpiece theatre.
8 minutes
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Chapter 2
7 minutes
Photo: Salva Lopez
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Michael and Zibi are 24-year-old Polish acrobats who have been working together for 10 years. After backflipping their way through circuses and large-scale productions around the world they’ve boarded the ‘MSC Preziosa’. They tell Robert Bound about their acrobatic style and how on earth you stay stable at sea.
7 minutes
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Chapter 3
4 minutes
Photo: Salva Lopez
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Behind the scenes we meet Bogdan Ristea, the very level-headed Romanian theatre production co-ordinator. He talks us through how you put an international group of performers together to create a ship-shape show.
4 minutes
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Chapter 4
6 minutes
Photo: Salva Lopez
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Franco Pili, cruise director of the ‘MSC Preziosa’, tells us about the latest trends in cruising. He compares the US style with this European glitziness and reveals how, entertainment-wise, he keeps the whole thing afloat, smiling and projecting to the back row of the dress circle.
6 minutes
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