A dinner at the Royal Exchange in the Prince’s honour has been hastily arranged instead by the city powers.

Sponsors are understood to have mixed feelings about the cancellation.

On the one hand they are surprised and delighted that Edward is evidently a big fan of Postlethwaite – and maybe even Shakespeare….however, they are also irritated that having forked out substantial sums to sponsor the Festival, they have now been forced to contact their clients at the last minute to inform them the reception is off.

“The Pianist” is an original piece of work based on Wladyslaw Szpilman’s memoirs of the Warsaw ghetto during the Nazi occupation and the Festival organisers viewed the reception as a key event in the sponsors’ benefits package.
 
The Festival has worked hard over the past year to negotiate sponsorship packages from several leading companies including Bruntwood, United Utilities, Virgin Trains and Sony Playstation.

Without the sponsors’ support the festival’s ability to deliver the quality of production required to ensure the festival’s international reputation for excellence and originality, would certainly have been compromised.

One of those affected by the cancellation told How-Do that it was “galling to have been treated in this offhand manner when a minor royal decides to pay a visit.”
 

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