The Yorkshire Post
by Nick Ahad
TWO Russian Ice Doctors took up station in the Alhambra Theatre yesterday as Bradford became home to a second ice rink. The stage of the Alhambra was transformed into a 15m x 15m ice rink as tonight it sees the opening performance of Swan Lake on Ice.
The process began around lunchtime, when the show's technicians moved in. They began laying polythene and then a layer of polystyrene insulation. The rink begins to come together when six-inch-thick waterproof marine timber is laid around the outside of what will become the ice stage.
Fifteen kilometres of pipe, used to refrigerate the ice, are then laid down and on top of that is laid fivetonnes of ice - bought from Grimsby fish market. A further 10 tonnes of water is laid on top, creating the perfect rink. Keeping an eagle eye on the work were Igor Sityuk and Vladimir Bogdanov, Russian experts in creating a perfect ice rink in charge of the 30-person team.
Working in 12-hour shifts, they keep a constant vigil, making sure the rink maintains the perfect temperature and integrity. The ice show is the brainchild of one of the world's leading iceskating choreographers, Tony Mercer, who first came up with the idea after watching the Olympic British duo Torvill and Dean.
After years of perfecting the method and getting the logistics right, Mercer and fellow producer James Cundall were able to create an ice rink on stage. "I wanted to capture the danger and the athleticism of ice skating, but rather than have it in a big arena, I wanted to try put it in an intimate space like a theatre," said Mr Mercer.
"I wanted to create something like Cirque du Soleil and used that as a model."
He added: "We have had disasters where a skater has come down hard, gone through the ice and punctured a pipe. It creates this beautiful fountain of liquid coolant and the audience goes 'ooh' and 'aah', but it means Igor and Vladimir have to immediately stop the show, get the pipes fixed and get the ice back to a fit state. "That hasn't happened on this tour yet, but I can guarantee that it will at some point."
The show is in Bradford as part of a world tour, taking in Japan. Singapore, South Africa, Germany and America. Olga Sharutenko, star of the recent TV show Dancing On Ice, plays the role of Odette, leading a 25-strong cast of skaters who between them have won over 200 competitions - including Olympic - medals.