alison Posted January 2, 2019 Share Posted January 2, 2019 There's a model of the ROH in the café? Note to self: must pay more attention when dashing through the place! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penelopesimpson Posted January 2, 2019 Share Posted January 2, 2019 Haven't spotted it either! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thalia Posted January 2, 2019 Share Posted January 2, 2019 It’s near the stairs going down to the Linbury and behind the stairs going up to the Floral Hall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thalia Posted January 2, 2019 Share Posted January 2, 2019 I was reading this article on the BBC website about toilet provision in West End theatres and noticed it mentioned at the end that there were gender neutral facilities at the ROH. Has anyone come across these yet? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-46735513 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 2, 2019 Share Posted January 2, 2019 Once again, no cast change slips this evening and many cast changes. If they could print up a list of the cast changes (and they did for Patineurs), why couldn't they print a few copies? I was told to take a photo. Not sure if there were cast changes for the other ballets. Very disappointing ROH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninamargaret Posted January 2, 2019 Share Posted January 2, 2019 This evening I decided to try finding out about cast changes at the ROH. As Darlex said there were many. It was impossible to read them all as they are right at the bottom of the screen, and partly hidden by the staff who are serving at the counter. Also there were many people queuing to be served and I don't think it would have been possible to take a photo- in fact a video would have been needed. Totally daft system. I'm going to email and ask for changes and make a nuisance of myself! Patineurs looked a wee bit ragged, but thoroughly enjoyed David Yudes. And Lara Morera was perfect in Winter Dreams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cackles Posted January 2, 2019 Share Posted January 2, 2019 Bag checks back in operation at the Bow Street entrance but not at the Piazza doors! I too was told that I could take a photo of the cast changes if I wanted to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Newcombe Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 57 minutes ago, Darlex said: Once again, no cast change slips this evening and many cast changes. If they could print up a list of the cast changes (and they did for Patineurs), why couldn't they print a few copies? I was told to take a photo. Not sure if there were cast changes for the other ballets. Very disappointing ROH. There were plenty available when I arrived at about 6.10pm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninamargaret Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Plenty of cast lists at 1830 but didn't see any cast change slips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 I found out about tonight’s cast changes by looking at the notice posted at the programme point. It was very easy to read and I took a photo with my ‘phone just in case I couldn’t remember them. I don’t think four changes in Patineurs (one of which was consequential from another) is “many”. There were no cast changes in the other ballets (not sure why a poster above thought there might be given they had seen the changes for Patineurs). I want the ROH to stop printing cast change slips - they are a waste of money and paper. The notices are sufficient, provided front of house staff are properly briefed. If you are interested enough in the cast (and a significant number of patrons attending are not), you can make the effort to go to a programme point and look at a notice. To anyone who wants to make a nuisance of themselves by emailing the ROH for cast changes, I hope you are ignored as a troublesome timewaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 17 minutes ago, Tony Newcombe said: There were plenty available when I arrived at about 6.10pm They told me it was 'very last minute' and therefore no cast change slips had been copied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 (edited) 12 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said: I want the ROH to stop printing cast change slips - they are a waste of money and paper. The notices are sufficient, provided front of house staff are properly briefed. If you are interested enough in the cast (and a significant number of patrons attending are not), you can make the effort to go to a programme point and look at a notice. The posting of the notices at programme points is not consistent, unfortunately. The one by the ground floor cloakroom didn’t have one (it has in the recent past) and when I asked a staff member behind the desk if there were any cast changes, I was told that there were, and I’d need to look up at the big screen to my left to see them. I stood there for 30 seconds or so, and nothing came up, so I went through to the original part of the foyer and found the paper notice. That same programme sales point in the new café is the one where last Friday at The Nutcracker I was told, upon asking during the interval if there was a record of the cast changes, that there was “nothing major”. When the reason I was asking was that I knew I had been watching someone who wasn’t Gartside as Drosselmeyer all the way through Act 1. Briefing needs to be improved, methinks. By the way, when I finally found a programme point with a notice tonight, I didn’t have my phone to hand. Please remind me what the two changes were to the men in Patineurs (I registered the whole Magri > Storm-Jensen > Katsura shuffle). (EDITED TO ADD: just saw your post on the other thread - mystery solved!) Edited January 3, 2019 by RuthE 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Allen Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 (edited) 19 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said: I want the ROH to stop printing cast change slips - they are a waste of money and paper. The notices are sufficient, provided front of house staff are properly briefed. If you are interested enough in the cast (and a significant number of patrons attending are not), you can make the effort to go to a programme point and look at a notice. To anyone who wants to make a nuisance of themselves by emailing the ROH for cast changes, I hope you are ignored as a troublesome timewaster. In many respects I find your constant attempts always to support the ROH in its decisions quite endearing rather like a football supporter who will support his team almost irrespective of its playing style or its results. Blind faith exhibited like this doesn't always lead to good outcomes. To adapt a technique you have employed, yourself, in the past, how do you know the motives of the people who write in? It seems a trifle presumptuous. 13 minutes ago, Darlex said: They told me it was 'very last minute' and therefore no cast change slips had been copied. .Hmm, there seems no reason to doubt Tony Newcombe's word, so it seems that you were told "porkies". Perhaps a word with the ROH might be in order (so long as bangorballetboy doesn't object)...... Edited January 3, 2019 by Douglas Allen grammar change for clarity 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 9 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said: I found out about tonight’s cast changes by looking at the notice posted at the programme point. It was very easy to read and I took a photo with my ‘phone just in case I couldn’t remember them. I don’t think four changes in Patineurs (one of which was consequential from another) is “many”. There were no cast changes in the other ballets (not sure why a poster above thought there might be given they had seen the changes for Patineurs). I want the ROH to stop printing cast change slips - they are a waste of money and paper. The notices are sufficient, provided front of house staff are properly briefed. If you are interested enough in the cast (and a significant number of patrons attending are not), you can make the effort to go to a programme point and look at a notice. To anyone who wants to make a nuisance of themselves by emailing the ROH for cast changes, I hope you are ignored as a troublesome timewaster. Four changes in a ballet cast of 15 dancers is many in my book. That's more than a quarter of the cast for one ballet. I wondered whether it was Gary Avis in Winter Dreams, because from my poor seat, it didn't look like him. But maybe it was. Once we don't need cast change slips (because we can take a photo or read the screen) maybe we won't need a cast sheet either - they too can be photographed on our phones. I try not to bring my phone to the theatre because I never want to be the person who forgets to turn it off. If it's a concern about use of paper, I would be happy to see a page or two less in the glossy red programmes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 14 minutes ago, Douglas Allen said: In many respects I find your constant attempts always to support the ROH in its decisions quite endearing rather like a football supporter who will support his team almost irrespective of its playing style or its results. Blind faith exhibited like this doesn't always lead to good outcomes. To adapt a technique you have employed, yourself, in the past, how do you know the motives of the people who write in? It seems a trifle presumptuous. .Hmm, there seems no reason to doubt Tony Newcombe's word, so it seems that you were told "porkies". Perhaps a word with the ROH might be in order (so long as bangorballetboy doesn't object)...... A couple of basic points. It’s not blind faith, it’s agreeing with a suggested course of action. Those who have been round here longer than you can confirm that I can be extremely critical of the ROH when I think it is appropriate (and I have made a number of my feelings, positive, negative and hopefully constructive, known directly to Alex Beard in person). As to knowing the motives of people who write in, my comment was a response to a poster above who suggested they might write in to make a nuisance of themselves, so that’s pretty clear to me. As to the FOH staff telling porkies, I agree and refer you to my point that staff need to be properly briefed. If you think I need to back that up by saying staff should respond to patrons in accordance with their briefing (which I would have thought doesn’t need to be said), then I happily say it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Allen Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 8 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said: As to knowing the motives of people who write in, my comment was a response to a poster above who suggested they might write in to make a nuisance of themselves, so that’s pretty clear to me. If you are going to quote someone, you should do so accurately. The poster said that they would write in about the cast change leaflets and make a nuisance of themselves, not to make a nuisance of themselves, as you suggest. There is a difference in meaning. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 3 minutes ago, Douglas Allen said: If you are going to quote someone, you should do so accurately. The poster said that they would write in about the cast change leaflets and make a nuisance of themselves, not to make a nuisance of themselves, as you suggest. There is a difference in meaning. Context is everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josephine Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 1 hour ago, bangorballetboy said: I found out about tonight’s cast changes by looking at the notice posted at the programme point. It was very easy to read and I took a photo with my ‘phone just in case I couldn’t remember them. 1 hour ago, bangorballetboy said: I want the ROH to stop printing cast change slips - they are a waste of money and paper. The notices are sufficient, provided front of house staff are properly briefed. If you are interested enough in the cast (and a significant number of patrons attending are not), you can make the effort to go to a programme point and look at a notice. From an audience perspective I agree with these points, so long as ROH continues to display at all programme desks the enlarged cast change notice which I saw for the first time tonight. I'm happy with this as my source of information alongside the cast change scroll text on the various screens. However I hope that there is no long term intention to dispense with the paper cast sheets themselves, which I do value. Also I hope that ROH's use of the screens to give information will become more consistent and reliable in terms of updates. On Sat 29 Dec the screen in the Linbury bar area was still showing general event information for the week ending 23 Dec, plus scroll text information for cast changes from The Nutcracker on Fri 28 Dec, evening. I realise that the holiday period may have accounted for no screen update, but feel that ROH should commit to ensuring prompt and accurate digital updates as we go forward. Imagining the scenario from the artists' perspective, it still seems to me very disrespectful to have abandoned pre-performance announcement of unexpected cast changes. I appreciate that sometimes these may be too long for a quick announcement, but feel strongly that ROH should continue to announce in the auditorium any unexpected changes in featured roles, alongside the provision of fuller lists (when needed) in the programme desk notices and on screens. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 1 hour ago, bangorballetboy said: I want the ROH to stop printing cast change slips - they are a waste of money and paper. The notices are sufficient, provided front of house staff are properly briefed. If you are interested enough in the cast (and a significant number of patrons attending are not), you can make the effort to go to a programme point and look at a notice. Sure, the notices may be sufficient - provided that i) you actually pass a programme point (all, what, two of them now? - the second one in the main foyer has disappeared) without having to do a major detour (not necessarily easy if you don't come in through the foyer), and that you can actually access the notice without having to fight your way through all the patrons buying programmes, and ii) they actually EXIST! Those people who were at the Nutcracker on New Year's Day evening were informed that there were no cast changes, despite the fact that Emma Maguire, the scheduled Clara, was injured, yet she was actually replaced by Meaghan Grace Hinkis, who then needed to be replaced herself in a more minor role. Sure, an announcement was made after the interval that there was an error on the cast sheet and that it was Hinkis dancing, but my guess is that that was only because a number of regulars complained during the interval, because nobody among the front of house staff seemed to be "properly briefed". The screen in the café was still showing the cast changes (of which there were a lot) for the matinee, which only added to the confusion. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 16 minutes ago, Josephine said: I realise that the holiday period may have accounted for no screen update, but feel that ROH should commit to ensuring prompt and accurate digital updates as we go forward. Imagining the scenario from the artists' perspective, it still seems to me very disrespectful to have abandoned pre-performance announcement of unexpected cast changes. I appreciate that sometimes these may be too long for a quick announcement, but feel strongly that ROH should continue to announce in the auditorium any unexpected changes in featured roles, alongside the provision of fuller lists (when needed) in the programme desk notices and on screens. Hear, hear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coated Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 It would be very useful if the ROH could put up a well sized notice board showing either the full cast or just changes, or put up some easily detectable signs in more than one location with the changes. The current method of small notices on (some) busy desks or showing something on screens that is not seen by all attendees is the main problem for me. There are no screens when coming in via bow street and then going to stalls or stalls circle. Not everyone has the time to wander the halls at the off-chance that they might find some information. I'm perfectly happy to not have change slips as long as the information is easily available elsewhere. In terms of environmentally friendly, it would be much more beneficial if the ROH stopped printing cast lists, programmes and magazines on glossy paper. And stopped sending random appeal letters that could just as well be emails. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 3 minutes ago, Coated said: It would be very useful if the ROH could put up a well sized notice board showing either the full cast or just changes, or put up some easily detectable signs in more than one location with the changes. The current method of small notices on (some) busy desks or showing something on screens that is not seen by all attendees is the main problem for me. There are no screens when coming in via bow street and then going to stalls or stalls circle. Not everyone has the time to wander the halls at the off-chance that they might find some information. I'm perfectly happy to not have change slips as long as the information is easily available elsewhere. In terms of environmentally friendly, it would be much more beneficial if the ROH stopped printing cast lists, programmes and magazines on glossy paper. And stopped sending random appeal letters that could just as well be emails. Can’t disagree with any of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 I still think more use should be made of the website by ensuring cast details are correct post performance. Having set a gold standard with the full cast for the Nutcracker cinema relay on 3 December, is there any reason why such detail cannot be the norm? Also can I repeat a plea that the website provides a better synopsis? For Winter Dreams, the cast sheet gave no synopsis at all, although the cast list did very usefully include relationships. The synopsis on the website is very thin. Yes I bought a programme as I hadn’t seen Winter Dreams in the theatre but why not include a better synopsis on line? I’d be interested to know what the cast list contained by way of synopsis last time Winter Dreams was performed and whether that information is available on the web. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 5 hours ago, Coated said: It would be very useful if the ROH could put up a well sized notice board showing either the full cast or just changes, or put up some easily detectable signs in more than one location with the changes. The current method of small notices on (some) busy desks or showing something on screens that is not seen by all attendees is the main problem for me. There are no screens when coming in via bow street and then going to stalls or stalls circle. Not everyone has the time to wander the halls at the off-chance that they might find some information. I'm perfectly happy to not have change slips as long as the information is easily available elsewhere. In terms of environmentally friendly, it would be much more beneficial if the ROH stopped printing cast lists, programmes and magazines on glossy paper. And stopped sending random appeal letters that could just as well be emails. EXACTLY. And if I’m sitting on house right, it would be really nice if there was somewhere where I could get a cast sheet, notification of cast changes, and a drink of water for that matter, without being required to traipse over to house left. I realise that house left is where all the big open spaces are, but none of these things require more than the footprint of a notice-board, leaflet-holder or water-cooler. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninamargaret Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 8 hours ago, bangorballetboy said: I found out about tonight’s cast changes by looking at the notice posted at the programme point. It was very easy to read and I took a photo with my ‘phone just in case I couldn’t remember them. I don’t think four changes in Patineurs (one of which was consequential from another) is “many”. There were no cast changes in the other ballets (not sure why a poster above thought there might be given they had seen the changes for Patineurs). I want the ROH to stop printing cast change slips - they are a waste of money and paper. The notices are sufficient, provided front of house staff are properly briefed. If you are interested enough in the cast (and a significant number of patrons attending are not), you can make the effort to go to a programme point and look at a notice. To anyone who wants to make a nuisance of themselves by emailing the ROH for cast changes, I hope you are ignored as a troublesome timewaster. Thanks for your advice from a troublesome time waster! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minniethemoocher Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 It shouldn’t be assumed that everyone has a mobile phone to take a photo of cast changes ! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 8 minutes ago, Minniethemoocher said: It shouldn’t be assumed that everyone has a mobile phone to take a photo of cast changes ! Though I do expect most people to have a pen. What do you do when you go to a theatre where the only cast list is a board listing the cast and not specifically identifying any changes/understudies/swings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninamargaret Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Last night it was impossible to get a clear view of the screen because of the people queuing at the cafe bar. And I didn't notice any sign in the foyer. Given my limited talents at using my phone I'd probably have caused a major traffic jam by trying to take a photo! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 (edited) 45 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said: Though I do expect most people to have a pen. What do you do when you go to a theatre where the only cast list is a board listing the cast and not specifically identifying any changes/understudies/swings? 1. Yes, most people (but not all) would have a pen; but is it really feasible for lots of people to be standing in front of the few notices or screens in already crowded areas, writing down the changes? 2. As far as I can remember, I haven't been to such a theatre, and would think it a very amateur arrangement. If the ROH wishes to do away with cast change slips, it has to a) make suitable alternative arrangements (e.g. large signs in sufficient locations), and b) TELL PEOPLE. We are finding out these (unsatisfactory and inconsistent) new arrangements by chance and rumour, and it's frankly ridiculous. The other aspect that is really disturbing is that the staff do seem to have been asked to lie about this. They constantly say 'oh the changes are only minor' even when that's clearly not true, so it's obviously the 'script' they have been given. Why?? Edited January 3, 2019 by bridiem typo 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 8 hours ago, Coated said: And stopped sending random appeal letters that could just as well be emails. ...and I wish they’d stop having paper tickets as the default. It’s all too easy when in a hurry not to remember to take the extra step necessary to receive an e-ticket instead. I guess that this might be in the works for the new website, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Ninamargaret you made me laugh 😀😀 I've only an iPad for possible photograph taking at the mo and that's a cumbersome task believe me with the cover flapping about all over the place BUT hoping to get an iPhone soon when I will probably take great delight in snapping everything! I do agree I wouldn't mind there being no cast change slips etc if it was clear at several points in the House on both left and right sides ....on some largish display board?? what these changes were. By the very nature of ballet there are bound to be some very last minute changes on some days which could be difficult to keep up with. I still don't see why ALL cast changes cannot be announced from the stage as well ....though if there were a lot on any particular day that could be a problem too!! Perhaps the ROH could use recycled paper for cast lists etc to save a bit on the paper usage problem? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 16 minutes ago, bridiem said: 2. As far as I can remember, I haven't been to such a theatre, and would think it a very amateur arrangement. It is the case at, for example, Sadler's Wells for the current Matthew Bourne Swan Lake. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pas de Quatre Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Surely they could project the full cast - including any changes - using the surtitle facility. It could be displayed as people take their seats, or if not visible enough while house lights are on, for a short while as the lights go down. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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