Fonty

As has been mentioned before, some women carry handbags that are the size of small suitcases.

Yes, I find that uncomfortable as well. But the last time I saw it, which must have been ages ago, the Swanhilda reacted to the old man's distress, and went back and comforted him. I can't remember exactly what she did, but it made a very touching end to the ballet. Otherwise, it seems as if everyone behaves in a very callous way at the end, and it leaves a nasty aftertaste.

Hi everyone, just a quick question. It says the running time for SB is about 3 hours, so with a 7.15pm curtain up, they should be finishing about 10.15pm? Is that correct?

I am also going on Monday. Fingers firmly crossed she is feeling better by then. Hopefully, the unwell feeling was caused by nerves.

Strange thing, personal taste. While I love the music for R & J, I am not dead keen on the score for Cinderella. This is probably why the ballet is not one of my favourites.

Oh, This House Will Burn is etched in my memory as one of the worst experiences I have ever had at the Opera House. Fortunately, it was never given a second outing!

Well, sorry to keep going on about it, but the Lilac Fairy is an important role, and personally I don't think it should be subject to last minute changes because the intended dancer is now doing something else. Yes, of course injuries happen, but the company should be prepared for this and plan ahead. It makes it seem as though any female can be slotted in at short notice, which is simply not the case. I have seen some performances that could only be described as woeful in recent times. It is not fair on the dancer, who may be under rehearsed, or just not really capable, and it is certainly not fair on the audience. I shall now climb down from my soapbox and stalk off.........

Haven't heard that in a very long time.

Oh, ok, thanks. I wasn't sure if the performance and individual dancer pages were linked or not. I can see that perhaps they don't want to put the casting for those roles on the performances pages too far in advance, when perhaps the only thing worked out is the schedule for the Principals. But at this stage of the proceedings, I would have thought it would be a simple piece of programming to put the unlinked info on the appropriate dancer's page. It does seem a bit daft that apart from the dancers themselves, nobody else is apparently allowed to know.

I am off to see this on Monday, and was hoping to find out who would be dancing the Lilac Fairy, Bluebirds and so on. I was hoping this information might be available by clicking on the names of individual dancers, but as far as I can see, the only person who is dancing/has danced the LF in the most recent production is Laura McCulloch. I was wondering who was responsible for updating their details on the ROH web pages? Because if those in charge of these things won't list the casting for these important roles under the cast details for the ballet, they could at least add it somewhere else. I can't believe that they don't know by now who will be dancing. Am I being an idiot? Is the information on there somewhere, and I am just not looking in the right place?

Well, I did post exactly the same quote in post number 12, Cavycapers. Regarding people not putting their coats in the cloakroom because they want to save time at the end when they dash for the last train home, I think this is the perfect argument for getting the conductor to play the music at the correct speed. Just think, they could probably shave 20 minutes off the running time of the three act classics. And everyone would have time to check out their coats and bags. Problem sorted!

Vicky, every person who says they hate Two Pigeons, or would never see another Sleeping Beauty or Swan Lake again, there will be at least one who loves them. And I for one adore the music for R & J. I never fail to be moved by it.

Well, as the website states that large bags will not be allowed, I suspect not. I have a fairly large rucksack, but I have never had any trouble getting in to any theatre. Once in my seat, rucksack tucks between my legs, coat folds up neatly under the seat, handbag stays on lap. I am comfortable, (or as comfortable as it is possible to be in some of the snug spaces, and more to the point, I do not take up the space of anyone else. I guess those with several shopping bags have made a day of it in Bond Street or whatever, before going on to the theatre in the evening.

I am visiting the ROH soon, so I thought I would check. They state: We offer a limited free cloakroom service for small items and coats. However, following recently heightened security measures across London, we have been advised not to allow any large bags, rucksacks or backpacks into the building. Please be aware that if you bring such items into the building we may request that you seek alternative storage arrangements for them away from the Royal Opera House; this could result in you missing the start of the performance. I always carry a rucksack to work. I carry my laptop in it, plus all the other stuff I need for work, and sports gear on certain days of the week. This may not look very elegant, but it is certainly better for my back than lugging a heavy bag in one hand. As it happens, I shall be working from home on the day of my visit, so will not need a large bag. But I am interested to know what "alternative storage arrangements" the ROH is expecting people to use. . I have in the past tucked my heavy winter coat under the seat in various theatres where they charge for the cloak room, but I have always checked it in at Covent Garden. However, it seems very antisocial indeed of people to hang their coats, jackets, cardigans or whatever on the back of their seats. This is encroaching on the leg room of the person behind, who has every right to complain. If people can't or won't use the cloakroom, they should keep their belongings on their laps.

I am not denying that there is some lovely dancing in the second clip. But it was shock to me when I heard the music. It is supposed to be a waltz, after all.

Ah yes, the poor old lilac fairy. Personally, I have never seen anyone at the RB excel at that. However, your comments made me go rushing off to Youtube. I've been itching to put up some of these clips, especially with masses of performances of SB coming up over the next few weeks. The first one is from Sadlers Wells 1955. Not the best of recordings. The Lilac Fairy is about the 5 minute mark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ggc-OBKRwsk Compare and contrast with some later ones. You don't have to sit through them all to get the general idea of why some of the modern day performers may struggle. Edited to add I wish I could find one of a modern RB performance, but I can't seem to. I assume the RB doesn't dance it any quicker? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNHOq2fLSks#

Yes, well, obviously this Balanchine chap must have something. I just don't get it! Most people seem to think Woolf Works is superb. I must be one of the minority who wasn't "blown away" by it. Of course, a lot of these likes and dislikes may come down to the old, old subject of the ballets not being performed in the way the creators originally intended. Did Ashton really mean the Ugly Sisters to be performed in such a pantomime style? Are the fairy variations in SB a bit dull because modern interpretations smooth out the individual characteristics of each fairy into a smooth, bland, style. Do the Brits do Balanchine justice?

Oh dear, full of typos I can't correct! That should clearly be "I find my attention wandering....." I wonder sometimes where my attention wanders to. :dunce:

Although I have a ticket for the current production of Sleeping Beauty, the only reason I am going is to see Hayward and Campbell together. I agree about Red Riding Hood and so on, although I do like the Bluebirds. And although I appreciate that the Nutcracker is a wonderful Christmas ballet, I think Act 1 gets very tedious. Others I don't get: Balanchine's Apollo. I just find it dull. And the same goes for a lot of his other ballets where the dances are wearing leotards and there is not much scenery. Very worthy, I am sure, but I find my attention wondering. Les Sylphides: Lots of arm waving and floating, which goes on and on. Last time the RB put it on, I felt a sense of relief when it finished.

Glad I am not the only one. I am not quite sure why Les Noces is meant to be a masterpiece, to be honest. I agree that hearing the suicide note aloud in Woolf Works is very moving, Gillian Anderson did it beautifully. But I still don't want to see the whole full length work again.

Speaking personally, I think I have only ever seen one genuine standing ovation, and that was at a preview of a play many years ago, starring Sheila Hancock. She was magnificent in it, but sadly I can't remember the name of the play. I've seen plenty of "Let's stand up and cheer our favourite" reactions from the audience, at musicals in particular. However, I got the impression this was the normal behaviour of a specific performer's "groupies", (for want of a better word) rather than a spontaneous response to a truly exceptional performance.

It's going back a bit, but I seem to remember my eldest brother saying that The Romans in Britain at the National was greeted by stunned silence.

I was just looking up Ballet Russe to find out what the cause of the uproar was, and came across this: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/may/27/rite-of-spring-100-years-stravinsky "As a riot ensured, two factions in the audience attacked each other, then the orchestra, which kept playing under a hail of vegetables and other objects. Forty people were forcibly ejected." Made me laugh. The only time I have ever heard boos at the ballet is when the audience gets into pantomime mode, and boos An Evil Character during the curtain calls. I don't recall it happening at Covent Garden, but I do remember going to an ENB performance of Sleeping Beauty, and Carabosse received a torrent of boos. She was very good! And of course, she milked the booing for all it was worth while taking her curtain calls.

It seems to me that the couple with the autistic child were using the concert to get a couple of hours relief when they could just ignore him. It is possibly understandable from their point of view, but also deeply selfish. And nobody has a "right to be there", if they are preventing other people from enjoying the performance. Someone who has bought a ticket for a concert has a right to be able to listen to it without distraction.

Trog's post reminded me of my recent trip to the Coliseum to see ENB's Giselle. The ladies behind me were very quiet during the first act, but just as the lights were going down for the second act, I heard one say to the other, "I don't actually know the story of Giselle. What's the second act about?" I felt my jaw starting to clench, and my lips were just beginning to form the shape for a loud SHUSH, but her companion did give a very brief and swift summary of the story, which ended with her companion saying, "So she's dead, then?" You do wonder about some of the people who attend live theatre, don't you?