Fonty

Not sure if this is the right place to ask, but why is it that the Ashton triple bill is not being included in the live cinema broadcast?  I don't think the last one was either.  So frustrating because I was away from London for the last one, and will be so again for the current one.  

On a slightly different tack, I am in Portugal at the moment.  I was very upset to find out that they were not going to show the live screening of the Winter's Tale at the cinema this week.  They have done every other one as far as I know, so maybe they didn't think it would be popular?

Thanks for the explanations.  I remembered the gist of it, even if I couldn't remember who posted! 

The thing is with the top price tickets, it is only some of the top price bands that sell out quickly.  These tend to be the ones with the best sight lines.  I've noticed before that I can very rarely get one of the side aisle seats that give splendid views of the stage because there is no head in front blocking the view.  Likewise the stalls circle and the next one up; all the central seats get snapped up.  It goes without saying that at the the other end of the scale SCS tickets seem to be like gold dust, snapped up immediately.  However, other equally expensive seats in the stalls do not sell quite as quickly, because the view from many of these is rubbish, to put it mildly. If you happen to be of average height or below, that is.  Fine if you are tall.   I know because I have now purchased several of these on 40% discount, and while it is good to see a live show, I am shocked at how bad the view actually is.  I am not in the UK at the moment, but if I was, I certainly would not use the discount to buy an expensive seat in certain parts of the theatre, no matter how much I wanted to see the performance. 

I believe someone (I cannot remember who) did a post that said if they sold 60% (?) of the tickets at full price, and the remainder were heavily discounted, then the ROH would actually make more money than having less expensive ticket prices to start with.  I cannot remember the exact details, so my figures may be way out.  

1 hour ago, FionaM said:

I have yet to find one “perfect seat” in the ROH at any price.  I’d settle for “good” but even that seems impossible to find.  
 

Stalls, front - too low can’t see feet

Stalls, rest of - poor rake can’t see over or around people’s heads 

Tiers, centre - too far away

Tiers, sides - oblique view, lose part of the stage

Amphi - too far away, though there is a good rake so heads are not usually a problem. 

Agree with you.  I seem to have tried everywhere, apart from the very front row of the stalls.  I was appalled when I went to see the MacMillan triple bill, sat in the middle of row C in the stalls (thanks to someone telling me the code for the 40% off deal), and found my view of the centre of the stage was completely blocked by the person sitting slightly to my left in front. I spent the entire first act weaving around, ending up at a very strange angle which gave me cramp.  I think some of the best views are from the SCS, slightly round to the side so that I am closer to the stage.  Yes, the extreme edges of the stage are hidden, but better that than the centre. 

I am starting to wonder if the ROH marketing department has been handed over to someone who doesn't like or know anything about what they are supposed to be marketing.  Harry Styles backstage is a huge free gift in terms of marketing.  He must have agreed to the photos being taken, and therefore would have no problem with them being used for publicity purposes, surely?

@Jamesrhblack  Makes you wonder what the heck they consider to be restricted view, doesn't it?  Sure you can see the stage, but that pillar is so obtrusive it certainly spoils the experience.  Fine for the opera, maybe, where sound is the most important thing, but for ballet?  I wonder what on earth the Visitor Experience post production debrief will achieve?  Will they be instructed to tell visitors how important this pillar is in supporting the structure of the building?

I also found the response rather patronising. 

18 hours ago, Geoff said:

 

I was blatantly lied to by one usher who just invented some incorrect ROH  “rules” so as not to seem uninformed about what I asked her. Another time I was what can best be described as cheeked by a young man who thought it was worth amusing his usher buddies at the expense of paying customers (and who did not help with what had been asked of him). Then others here have pointed out how rudely those selling programmes spoke to them. And there is the issue of the blatant party atmosphere (around the main entrance?) which seems to be all about the ushers having a jolly time with each other while ignoring the audience they are there to help. 
 

 

When I went to Swan Lake last week, the only usher I saw was sitting on a seat in the Orchestra Stalls during the performance.  As I was sitting in an unfamiliar part of the auditorium, I couldn't find one to direct me to the right staircase, and in the end I took the lift which I never normally do.  When I found the correct place, there was nobody checking tickets.  I find this surprising, as some of the restaurants are now open to anyone in the evenings, with or without a ticket.   Good thing there was nobody in my seat!

@LinMM  Seems very odd to me, and my first thought was maybe they are being staged in a contemporary way.  Oberon in posh jeans, perhaps, and Titania in a crop top and shorts?  I think we might have heard about that before, though.  (Interesting that my idea of contemporary clothing seems to be stuck in the 1980s)

i have received a marketing email from the ROH.  The Winter's Tale is described as Classical Ballet.  The upcoming Ashton triple comes under the heading "Discover Contemporary Works".  Don't know about anyone else, but I associate works by choreographers who are alive and create in the style of McGregor with the word contemporary, not Ashton! 

15 hours ago, Jane S said:

The Ashton Foundation does know who owns the ballets - see here - but I don't think it's yet generally known what will happen to the ones inherited by Anthony Russell Roberts, who died earlier this year.

 

(As far as I remember, the Foundation bought the rights of Daphnis and Chloe, which Ashton left to Fonteyn and she left to a relative. Expensive, though, and can't have brought them in much in the way of royalties.)

i believe Fonteyn left something to her brother, so it may have been Daphnix and Chloe.  I see that Ondine appears to belong to a Rosita Arias de Vallarino, which I assume must be a relative of Fonteyn's husband.  i might be wrong, but I cannot see that person being hugely interested in the casting of the ballet, and it hasn't been performed in years.  Be interesting to know how much say Dowell has had in the casting of the upcoming performances of The Dream as the current owner.  He is a person in a unique position, having known Ashton personally and having danced his ballets on many occasions. 

On 05/05/2024 at 20:56, JNC said:

I’m not a ballet insider and I trust choreographers and rights holders to know the ballet best but is this really how it works? 

Going back to the Ashton ballets, I do wonder why there has not been a strenuous effort to get the entire works under one roof, so to speak, with a dedicated Ashton Trust?  Or maybe there has, but from various comments it doesn't sound like it.  The problem with the method that Ashton chose, leaving the rights of specific ballets to particular artists directly connected with the ballet (which I believe is the case) is that when those individuals die, the rights may be left to people with no knowledge or interest in ballet or the works themselves.  Is there an up to date register somewhere of the owners of his works?  If so, how much direct influence do they have, does anybody know?

 

16 minutes ago, Sim said:

If anyone would like to come and say hello in the matinee intervals we will be sitting somewhere near the small staircase leading to the old part of the house, in the Paul Hamlyn Hall. I have longish dark hair and am wearing a lilac dress with little white flowers on it. Don’t be shy…please come and say hello!  

Shame I can't be there, @Sim.  Sounds like a lovely dress.  

@alison  There was an usher there at one point, but she didn't seem to move people along.  I wonder if there is someone to write to at the ROH about this?  As you say, if you push past people in order to get out early then leave.  Don't block the exit.  Having said that, would ushers do anything about it, other than stand on the stair and still block the view themselves?  They can hardly yank people by the arm and tell them to go, so I suppose they are restricted in what they can actually do.  

@Emeralds I would have got out of my seat had I realised quickly enough that my view would be blocked.  Unfortunately, I was wedged in and two of the people in my row had mobility issues, so even if I had asked them to move, by the time I got to the aisle I would probably have missed most of it anyway.  

I feel I have to write something about last night's performance, even though so much has been said already.  I have been watching Swan Lake since I was a child; in fact it was the first ballet I ever saw at about the age of 5 or 6.  I can honestly say that this was one of the best performances I have ever seen.  In fact, I would go so far as to say that Fumi Koneko is the best I have seen in the combined role of Odette/Odile.  It is normal for dancers to be slightly better at one.  She was perfect in both roles.  She didn't put a foot wrong from the moment  she first stepped on stage until the curtain came down at the end.  Just stunning, and I was totally gripped.  It isn't simply that she has a wonderful technique.  There have been many dancers over the years who have had that, including some of the current crop of ladies tackling the role.  But every single movement was a delight, ever step had purpose and meaning.  I notice from her biography that she seems to be one of the few RB dancers who had no training at all at the Royal Ballet School, but who cares when she is this perfect.  Muntagirov was the ideal partner.  He looks gorgeous, commands the stage even when he is doing nothing more than walking across it or even simply standing at the side, and when they dance together they are beautifully matched.  I am so glad I managed to see them together.

I don't think I can add anything further that hasn't already been said about the supporting cast, and I agree that the orchestra sounded wonderful last night.  A night to remember for years to come. 

I do have one or two minor quibbles, but they are really to do with the production itself.  It really looks so much better live on stage than in the cinema, so that issues such as the initial dancer looking nothing like the transformed Odette are non existent.  However, I am a bit puzzled by Von Rothbart clutching his stomach and vanishing in act 1.  Yes, he is about to be transformed, but does this happen to him every night?  If so, don't people wonder why they never see him after dark?  However, I must say that his outfit looked so much better in the flesh, so to speak.  . At the cinema I couldn't help thinking that the make up made him look a bit like Hannibal Lecter.  Also, this is more of a general question, but presumably Von Rothbart dies at the end?  If so, then surely the other swan maidens  should be released from their enchantment as well?  I know it would be impossible to choreograph something like this for so many swans, but it doesn't stop me thinking about it.  

And finally, with regard to Swan Lake in generally, I've always thought bringing on the cygnets at that particular point, with their jaunty music, jars after the exquisite Act 2 pdd. Each time I see it, I tend to wish those particular youngsters hadn't hatched! 

20 minutes ago, Silke H said:

Facebook album

 

Instagram 09/05/24

 

Thanks for that, @Silke H  Shows me what I missed (as per my irate post on the Audience Behaviour thread.....)

I was at the performance of Swan Lake last night, which was stunning, and I hope I can get some time to write a few words about it on the appropriate thread.  However, after a magnificent performance the curtain calls were completely ruined for me.  I had treated myself to a very expensive seat in the front row of the stalls circle, as I knew I would only be able to get to see it once and decided to give myself one of the best views in the house.  It was truly sensational, but at the end, a lot of people in the stalls got up to leave.  Ok, nothing wrong with that, as they might have had trains to catch.  What was completely unacceptable was that instead of leaving, several of these people stood at the top of the stairs, gossiping and completely blocking my view.  Not only that, but those that were actually trying to leave then gathered around them, making the situation even worse.  Even when I stood up I could not see over the head of a very tall man and an equally tall lady, both holding their phones up high in order to capture the moment.  Her position was perfect; standing right where the artists come out in front of the curtain.  All I got could see was the back of her phone.  I cannot tell you how angry I was.  This was a magical performance, and I wanted to see two magnificent artists take their curtseys, and applaud them.  I did NOT want to see selfish individuals jumping the queue to leave, but loitering to get a few photos.  

By the way, did I say HOW ANGRY I WAS?

Well, I am looking forward to seeing Muntagirov paired with someone other than Nunez, so I shall be there on Thursday as well.  I shall worry about casting for R & J later, I am currently enjoying the current run of Swans. 

I was just thinking back to when I was a child.  Apart from the touring companies coming to my local town, my mother used to take me to see matinees at the ROH from the age of about 8.  She was a housewife, and my father was a nurse, so nobody would have described us as a wealthy family by any stretch of the imagination.  Yet she managed to afford to buy two tickets to see some of the most wonderful dancers in the world.  I look back now and think how lucky I was, and feel sad that so many children from ordinary backgrounds will probably never get the chance to experience such beauty.  

It seems to me to be totally hypocritical that the people in charge of the ROH should keep going on about ballet and opera being seen as elitist, and wanting to make the experience more "inclusive".   Then they ramp the prices up to such an eye watering level that it looks as if they are actually trying to increase the number of wealthy people attending.  While those of us regulars on more normal incomes have to think very, very carefully about going at all.  .  Is this all part of a Cunning Plan of some sort?  And if so, what, I wonder?  Who exactly are they trying to "include"?

I've never seen Alice, for some reason it just doesn't appeal.  I don't know why; the clips I have seen maybe?  Although I did enjoy Morera's Red Queen, which did make me laugh out loud.  Who is likely to be cast in that role this time I wonder?  Who did it last time, I assume someone else was cast as well as Laura?

53 minutes ago, San Perregrino said:

Although not directly comparable, the middle section of the front two rows of the Royal Circle at the Noel Coward Theatre went on sale today for the upcoming Jamie Lloyd production of Romeo & Juliet. £254

I think there was advanced booking for that, and I know there are (or were) standing tickets for £25.  But having said that, the show is virtually sold out. 

37 minutes ago, Scheherezade said:

I can’t see why the RB should feel the need to protect itself since Friends have always known and accept that castings (opera as well as ballet) can and do change for any number of reasons but if the words “projected casting” would allow the information to be released prior to Friends’ booking opening, then let’s have it. 

Yes, we all know and accept that injuries and illness can change casts.  But projected casting would be sufficient to know who is likely to be dancing the leading roles, and when.  This is especially important with some of the more mature principals, who may well be performing a specific role for the last time.  I am making a point of trying to see Lamb in everything I can, while I still can.  I did exactly the same thing with Morera before she retired.  But I can't always afford to wait until exact casting is announced, when many of the reasonably priced seats will have gone by then.  

I think Mr O'Hare is between a rock and a hard place.  It cannot be easy trying to maintain a classical ballet company and satisfy the requirements of the Arts Council, which from what I can make out seems to be a tick box exercise in political correctness.  Ashton seems to be the embodiment of all that the ACE would disapprove of.  Classical ballet, characters such as fairies and nymphs, stories that to not contain nitty gritty realism of every day life in modern day Britain with the emphasis on sexism and racism....I am astounded we manage to get anything by him.

One thing though.  I do wish the Ashton triple bills would be part of the live screening schedule to the cinemas.  For two years a mouth watering selection has been performed while I am abroad, with no hope of seeing it.  

Well, I shall continue to say ROH or Covent Garden.  It is just so much easier to refer to the Royal Opera House, rather than the Royal Ballet and Opera House.  I am curious.  Who are the people who thought ballet was performed somewhere else?  The people "who should have known better" according to Mr O'Hare?  Please, please tell me they are NOT working for ACE.  Although, from what I have heard of that organisation, nothing would surprise me.  I am not sure if I read it on this forum or somewhere else, but there was an article about a noted classical orchestra receiving a visit from a representative of ACE with regard to funding.  I can't remember it exactly, but the gist of it was that while they were playing, let's say, a violin concerto, the rep was looking bored and fiddling with their phone.  Then they asked a question along the lines of "Do you play anything a bit more modern that doesn't involve violins?"  

Edited to add I have used ACE for the Arts Council, because people seem to use it on here all the time, but is that its official acronym? When I did a quick search I got several other organisations, but none for Arts Council England.