Abbeydale Picture House - forthcomin event raising concerns

The Abbeydale Picture House is displaying a poster for a forthcoming event with a boy on a dolphin. From what I remember about biology, dolphins are aquatic mammals (I think). In order to accommodate such an animal, a water tank will need to be constructed. This will need to be of a suitable size for the dolphin to move about with ease. The tank will need to be strong enough to contain the necessary amount of water. Should it have a glass front then this will allow vision.

I am concerned that such a construction could cause weight problems: we are talking about the weight of the tank, plus the weight of the water ( I reckon about 1000 Kg per cubic metre), add on the weight of the animal, plus the boy as well and we're talking a serious weight problem.

Is the stage up to taking this weight? Should the tank develop a leak, then the resulting deluge would swamp the audience and could cause serious damage to the snooker tables in the basement.

Where will the water in the tank come from? Is it river water from the nearby River Sheaf? Is it coming from the cold tap? Has some arrangement been made with Heeley Baths to pump water to the Picture House? What affect will this have on swimmers - might they find themselves crawling over the tiles instead of swimming?

What will happen to the water after the performance? Will it just go down the drain or will it be returned to Heeley Baths?

Are dolphins sea creatures, used to salt water. Is someone going to add salt to the water for the comfort of the animal? How will they remove this salt after the performance?

Do fellow forummers have any answers to these vital questions?

The Abbeydale Picture House is displaying a poster for a forthcoming event with a boy on a dolphin. From what I remember about biology, dolphins are aquatic mammals (I think). In order to accommodate such an animal, a water tank will need to be constructed. This will need to be of a suitable size for the dolphin to move about with ease. The tank will need to be strong enough to contain the necessary amount of water. Should it have a glass front then this will allow vision.

I am concerned that such a construction could cause weight problems: we are talking about the weight of the tank, plus the weight of the water ( I reckon about 1000 Kg per cubic metre), add on the weight of the animal, plus the boy as well and we're talking a serious weight problem.

Is the stage up to taking this weight? Should the tank develop a leak, then the resulting deluge would swamp the audience and could cause serious damage to the snooker tables in the basement.

Where will the water in the tank come from? Is it river water from the nearby River Sheaf? Is it coming from the cold tap? Has some arrangement been made with Heeley Baths to pump water to the Picture House? What affect will this have on swimmers - might they find themselves crawling over the tiles instead of swimming?

What will happen to the water after the performance? Will it just go down the drain or will it be returned to Heeley Baths?

Are dolphins sea creatures, used to salt water. Is someone going to add salt to the water for the comfort of the animal? How will they remove this salt after the performance?

Do fellow forummers have any answers to these vital questions?

These are timely and thought-provoking questions, Hopman and you are right to raise them. You should know though that this production is very much a compromise. The orginal intention was to stage a performance of Jaws, complete with a Great White.

Thank you for your concern, LordC. I would have hoped that more forummers might have been alarmed by this news, after all, there is a danger that should the stage give way under the weight, the poor dolphin might fall through the floor on to the snooker tables and sustain injuries of a life threatening nature.

Statistics show that the number of dolphins killed by jamming their heads into snooker triangles is very close to the numbers killed by tuna nets in that part of the world.

Um, you lot do know that there is a local singing group in Sheffield called Boy on a Dolphin right?

Hopman raises some serious issues Rich, and your flippant remarks are not helping.

Word is, the attempt to mislead people was not accidental. It was done on porpoise.

Hopman raises some serious issues Rich, and your flippant remarks are not helping.

I assume you'll be organising the placards for the protest march then?