First Night Riders Bring Theatre Staff Out of the Wings and Into the Wind

	First Night Riders team at the start of the 2011 Ride

On Friday 22 June a group of intrepid motorbike riders hailing from all sectors of the entertainment technology industry will set off from the Royal Albert Hall in London for a four-day, open-air tour of England's green and pleasant A-Roads.

Their mission? To raise as much money as possible for industry charity The Theatrical Guild (TTG), the only charity dedicated to looking after the interests of backstage and Front of House personnel.

"2012 marks the third First Night Riders (FNR) event and we're hoping to make it the most successful and fun ride yet," says organizer David Edelstein, who's a keen biker and managing director of innovative stage engineering company, Triple E. "It's important that we value the help charities like The Theatrical Guild provide. TTG is the only charity in the UK available to anyone who works, or has worked in theatre -- backstage or front-of-house. The TTG is there for anyone from this industry who is facing financial difficulty or who wants to re-train to develop their careers."

"Today TTG's work is more vital than ever. It is important for us to raise the profile of this unique charity and support the help and advice it gives to men and women who work behind the scenes in the entertainment industry, which is why it's such a worthy cause for the First Night Riders. Crucially, FNR requires help from the industry to raise much-needed funds for TTG's remarkable work -- and we need riders to join the group and get sponsored!"

The 2012 ride is a four-day event and open to anyone with a suitable motorcycle, bike and side-car, or scooter. To register interest, visit the URL below. The ride starts on Friday 22 June, meeting at 8am to depart around 9am. Riders will undertake a 750 mile round trip to the South Westerly tip of England. The route is as follows:

Day 1, Friday 22 June: Depart from the Royal Albert Hall towards Bristol. Tour Theatre Royal Bristol including complementary lunch; theatre tour of Bath and supper courtesy of Rupert and Sue Rhymes.
Day 2, Saturday 23 June: Plymouth Theatre Royal tour and complimentary lunch, visit TR2, tours at The Globe Theatre Royal Marine Barracks and Hall for Cornwall.
Day 3, Sunday 24 June: The Minack Theatre tour, Lands End sightseeing
Day 4, Monday 25 June: Kings Theatre Southsea tour, Lunch in Guildford courtesy of Trina and Eric Oldham of Metool Reels. The trip will conclude in London.

Each rider should aim to raise at least £500 in donations to the TTG of which £100 is a non-refundable registration fee. The event is also open to riders on a daily basis, as FNR's understand not everyone will have the time for the full trip. The day rate is £125 of which £25 is a non-refundable registration fee.

The previous two rides have raised £21,500 for TTG.

President of The Theatrical Guild, Phyllida Law says, "We love the First Night Riders and their passion for raising money for our charity. It's vital that people from our profession make sure that those colleagues who may become vulnerable can be protected and supported."