 Rehearsals began in Russell Square , London , with a read through . After a week of rehearsing , Welles left to secure further funding and Edwards directed the play , working on blocking and lighting . Welles returned two days before the premiere and the cast had their first dress rehearsal , which lasted until 3 a.m. After premiering at the Grand Opera House in Belfast on February 13 , 1960 , and receiving a good review from a Variety correspondent , the play closed after five performances because of low attendances . It moved to the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin , where it fared no better . By the end of the second week , Welles had resorted to reading portions of the works of Irish author J. M. Synge , and from Riders to the Sea , to attract an audience . Eventually the play simply became a version of An Evening with Orson Welles , which would often include a question and answer section with the audience and Welles 's solo performance of Moby Dick — <unk> or the works of Isak Dinesen . 
