THEN the Arthritis Foundation bagged the chance to have Evita's Dublin premiere on Thursday night as a major fund raiser, it wasn't in the least bit daunted by the fact that the stars of the movie would definitely be elsewhere on the night.
Knowing that the premiere going guests (at £75 a ticket) would expect stars they were beamed in via satellite Prom the London premiere, with Derek Davis in the Savoy as compere and Dave Fanning in London as the man with the mike and the guts to waylay Madonna, Antonio Banderas and anyone else who looked famous enough.
It was a very good evening. The invite said black tie but it was difficult to feel in any way glamorous compared with the breath taking glamour on screen. Those who did manage it in great style, included Norma Smurfit, Marie Devlin and her daughter Sharon Deelin, Veronica Canning, Anna Maria McCarthy Ann Corcoran and Clodagh Kean. After the screening there was an Argentinian themed party in Riverview for the 700 guests and some very lively dancing continued until the small hours.