This is simply an account of events   during the premier of Ariodante on July 3rd in the Festival d’Aix en Provence. I am avoiding making any political comments. For a full explanation of the political situation concerning Les intermittents in France, read this Guardian article from 2012:

Black sheets daubed in white painted slogans are draped over the posters advertising the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence 2014. They are slung across the tops of narrow streets neighbouring the Théàtre de l’Archêveché. Everyone here at the festival ominously anticipated some kind of a demonstration on a hot Thursday night especially since representatives from the government were apparently visiting.

Every performance this year begins with speeches made by a variety of different people on behalf of Les intermittents. The festival’s technical staff, wearing black t-shirts marked with (or without) a large white cross, filed onto the stage. They had voted overwhelmingly not to strike during this year’s festival and this display was a show of solidarity.

There were two speakers at the beginning of the opening night of Ariodante, and I was given to understand that the second speech went on rather too long. The audience became impatient and restless, some demanding that the music begin, muttering loudly their disapproval...