According to Mr Zeldin, the Caucasian gods and their Nibelungen equivalents have a lot in common.

ECONOMIST: Valery Gergiev's ��Ring��

The brains behind the operation are co-founders Zeldin and Billy Levy, whose company, WorldGaming.com, was recently acquired by Virgin.

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Mr Zeldin wants the first night to be a surprise.

ECONOMIST: Valery Gergiev's ��Ring��

Born to an Australian mother and Russian-Jewish father, Mr Zeldin attended Oxford, was influenced by Peter Brook and Robert Lepage, and travelled widely in the Middle East to learn about theatre production and performance there.

ECONOMIST: Valery Gergiev's ��Ring��

New video installations by Sven Ortel add welcome scenic relief to the production, but Mr Zeldin was nevertheless obliged to take on the old set, which is dominated by four 12-foot-high giants, the primordial gods of Ossetian mythology.

ECONOMIST: Valery Gergiev's ��Ring��