God’s own spotlight lit the stage. The temporary triangular platform tucked in the corner of Covent Garden piazza dazzled with afternoon sun and, as the dancers arrived — some professional, others not — you could hear Wayne McGregor and all those involved in Ignite breathe a sigh of relief.

If it had rained, the three-day programme intended to engage the senses, rather than showcase the ROH’s core arts of ballet and opera, would have seemed a terrible idea, but with a blinkingly bright sun, it felt very carnival.
The crowds weren’t quite a crush but there was a respectable throng outside and a good flow into the Opera House itself.

Outside, McGregor had choreographed a piece for 10 dancers from his own troupe, Random Dance, and some 40 kids from schools in Barking, South Norwood and Ipswich. This was a smart move, as McGregor showed that anyone can dance, at any level, and it doesn’t have to feel awkward, or worthy, as this sort of thing easily can.

Inside, he’d curated a baker’s dozen of sensory installations from his cross-arts contacts. There was Cecilie Egeberg’s Fields of Features (a wonderful take on Swan Lake) and a swaying-hipped, short-skirted LED by Julian Opie.
Royal College of Art trio Hannes Kock, Stuart Wood and Flo Ortkrass had a mirrored piece in the Floral Hall, and Douglas Gordon’s film of Zinedine Zidane looped in the Crush Bar — I think this was a gag on the similarity of crowds on the terraces and at the Opera House. There were also massages from Jo Malone and tastings from Green and Blacks.

Stern critics could argue that all was rather soft, in that the more demanding artwork was nowhere to be seen. However, if you judge Ignite on its own terms, it felt rather good — with the weather’s blessings.