Adele has apparently struck a deal through which she receives a whopping 50 per cent cut of the merchandise<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

While back in January, the singer had fired set designer Esmeralda Devlin, a hugely respected professional, \u2018in a panic’ after a \u2018butting of heads’, things were calmer second time round.<\/p>\n

Sources suggest Adele demanded constant changes in the run-up to the first opening night, and had never really been clear about what she wanted.In Devlin’s place is Londoner Kim Gavin, who warmed up for this gig with visits to Vegas over the summer, and took charge of her set at the Hyde Park concerts in July, where Adele performed in front of an understated curtain of gold and bronze discs which blew in the breeze and caught the lights.<\/p>\n

Gavin has just completed the staging for a show featuring the world of Bond at the Royal Albert Hall \u2014 a fairly comparable venue in size as well as a comparable concert in tone.<\/p>\n

Back in January, Adele pinned the blame for the cancelled show firmly on Covid, tearfully declaring: \u2018Half my crew and team are [ill] with Covid and still are, and it’s been impossible to finish the show.’<\/p>\n

Since then, however, she’s returned several times to the question of why she pulled the rug on a $150 million production \u2014 and it’s notable that the excuse of Covid has been ditched.<\/p>\n

In July she told BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs that the primary issues had been artistic.<\/p>\n

And despite fans losing thousands of pounds in travel and hotel bills, for which Adele said she was \u2018devastated’, she was also notably defiant.<\/p>\n

\u2018I don’t think any other artist would have done what I did and that is why it was such a massive, massive story.It was like, “I don’t care. You can’t buy me, you can’t buy me for nothing. I’m not going to just do a show because I have to or because people are going to be let down or because we’re going to lose loads of money.” ‘<\/p>\n

Scott Roeben, however, observes: \u2018It was damaging to her because of who she was as a performer.<\/p>\n

\u2018The expectation of her because of the music is of someone who is genuine and straightforward, and this seemed not to be.<\/p>\n

\u2018I believe she was upset, I don’t think she was pretending to be upset \u2014 but I do think that she was looking for a reason to explain the cancellation.<\/p>\n

\u2018She didn’t want to look like a cry baby or temperamental artist so she picked on Covid \u2014 maybe ten per cent of the reason and made that into the reason.<\/p>\n

\u2018The initial postponement was primarily an artistic decision coloured by her problems behind the scenes and problems with the creative team, and really not much to do with Covid.’<\/p>\n

This time round, says Roeben of Casino.org: \u2018It’s going to be an Adele show, but not a Vegas show.I think that last time they were trying to bring it up to a level with Katy Perry and Lady Gaga but that wall-to-wall spectacle never felt right for her.’<\/p>\n

Now, though, comes her chance to wipe away those memories, and repair that reputational damage.<\/p>\n

Adele has promised those who have bought tickets: \u2018I’m going to give you the absolute best of me.’<\/p>\n

But there’s a real possibility that it could be for the last time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n