penelopesimpson

Lovely post Shiya. Comparisons are not always appropriate and I appreciate everybodys views even if I don’t share them BUT to those questioning Campbell’s technical competence today, I can only guess that they haven’t see Halberg.... i thought this was far and away Campbell’s best performance to date, right up there with his Oberon. I believed in him, felt the pain of his love and the conflict with Lescaut. Whilst Muntagirov may have godlike status on this forum for his astounding technique and the sheer beauty of his lines, there are times when I want something a little more earthy, more real, more approachable and Campbell gave us that today, his performance shining even more brightly because of the wonderful contrast with Lescaut as executed by Corrales. For me the only dancer with the whole package of the type that kicks me in the gut and makes me shiver, is Ball.

Well quite. I though he was absolutely perfect in every way and I speak as someone who has, on occasion, been critical of Campbell. Yes, he was an entirely safe pair of hands today and you could see that Francesca had complete trust in him. But he was much more than that; I believed in his love for Manon which was an all embracingTill Death us Do Part kind of love and the more heartfelt for it. Core ales had the role of showman tonight - corrupt, venal and weak - which meant Campbell’s portrayal of De Grieux was a sharp contrast. I felt the. cast had a holistic feel about it so all the parts worked as a whole.

Really ? Lacked technical strength? Where exactly?

Lizzie, I am not entirely unsympathetic to your point BUT when I complain about sharing the terrace with non ticket holders or turn my nose up at people eating BYO curry at the entrance to The Crush Room, I am swiftly reminded that ROH is a public building, substantially funded by money from the public purse. Argument 1. Argument 2. If part of signing up to Friends is the ability to access tickets that members of the public are prevented from buying, then this needs to be made clear rather than allowing the pretence that, provided they have funds, anybody can buy a seat at ROH. I suspect that the reason this policy is not spelt out let lis precisely because ROH know just how badly it would play against a background of public subsidy. Argument 3. You appear to be saying that because you pay for privileged access, Friends should be allowed to buy as many tickets as they like. Presumably when you signed up to Friends, you went through the terms and conditions but now you want to change these to include more privileges. Argument 4. Do you really think it is right that the public, who indirectly through taxation also pay to support ROH, should b3 barred from seeing some of the great performers of our age, just because they haven’t signed up to an exclusive club? Sorry, but this isn’t right. And what is even less right is the blanket of hypocrisy surrounding the situation.

Ticked all the boxes and then some. You couldn’t take your eyes off him

I fully expect them to pull another stunt like last time when they claimed the system had gone down at 0900 but a few people had go5 through and just happened to buy all the Forza tickets. Once trust is gone, you don’t believ3 anything

Corrals fantastic. Like an imp on fire. Speed of turns, precision of steps, incredible stage presence and charisma in spades. Duel with Campbell terrific. What a cast but for me Campbell had the key to the whole thing. Have not seen him in This role before and he was wonderful. I love the partnership wirhFrancesca. Campbell is immaculate, a wonderful partne4 and an utterly believable lover. Great performance.

Well, yes, but that’s because people want to see Kaufman, surely a reasonable expectation?

Yes and know, NinaMargaret. I always wanted to see Kaufman and his Othello did not disappoint, hence my decision to see Forza. Not, IMHO a great opera but he was wonderful. The German repertoire is where he made his name andFidelio something of a calling card, so am desperate to get a ticket. JNC I can’t agree that Forza too ROH by surprise. Anything Kaufman does sells out and for some of the performances he was teamed with Netrebko who is probably the biggest female name in opera at present. I absolutely cannot understand why tickets have not been limited to 2 per person, then you have the email to Friends almost inviting them to hoover up. It is really awful behaviour. Certainly I won’t be responding to any of their appeals from now on, nor adding the donation at booking. Monday first thing I’m going to make as much fuss abou this as Ican, including speaking to the Arts Council.

Personally, I would have expected that access for all be a minimum requirement of public funding

That is pretty much how I feel, JNC. It is the utter hypocrisy that is so off-putting. No clarity around the situation with their website clearly showing Fidelio tickets will go on sale when General Booking opens when they already know this won’t happen. They are quite content to let their customers waste their time repeatedly trying to access tickets which have already been sold. 46 tickets on sale on Viagogo which can only have been purchased by Friends, yet no action taken. Thanks to Dawnstar we know that Friends have actively been encouraged to buy up these precious tickets, yet Mr. Beard makes public statements that the organisation he runs is not elitist. Apparently this means you can go and buy a cup of coffee but you cannot go to the opera. What kind of hypocrisy is that? The lack of clarity and the obvious discomfort of the Box Office indicate that they know this policy is wrong, yet they pursue it anyway. What a way to build trust with your customers.

I feel like you do when a much-loved friend lets you down. Quite apart from the dubious ethics, the strategy isn’t even being executed competently. Here’s a rundown of the conversations: ’Good evening. I want to enquire about Fidelio tickets next year.’ ’There are none available but you could watch for returns.’ ’I tried to buy some when Packages opened for General Booking but even at 0900 it said sold out.’ ’Yes, that’s correct. They had all been sold to Friends. It’s very popular.’ ’So what about when General Booking opens in a week or so ?’ ’You will have to look for returns’ So are there no tickets available unless you are a Friend.?’ ’You should write in to our Customer Relations department.’ ’Are you aware of the media furore over La Forza?’’ ’Yes. You will need to look for returns.’ ’Okay. But can you confirm that there are no Fidelio tickets going on sale to the General Public.? ’Yes. This was decided by Marketing working with Friends. I think you should speak to our public relations department.’ Clearly they know there is a looming problem but have not been briefed as to how to handle it. ’

I should really type this in capitals but I know how annoying that is so please take this as a shout: At 18.06 today, Box Office confirmed that there is no allocation of Fidelio seats for the general public. The marketing department 'working with Friends' determined the strategy. I asked the young man I was speaking to if he was aware of the furore over La Forza and he said he was. I didn't push him further as felt it a little unfair to put him on the spot but the way he hedged around my initial questions confirmed that he is aware there is a problem. I think this is about as low as ROH can go. They are publicly funded and we are frequently told that the reason we have to have non ticket-holders occupying precious space in the bars and on the terrace is to fulfil ROH's status as in receipt of funding from the taxpayers purse. Now we learn that some performances are to be restricted to those who pay for access. I intend to make all the relevant media fully aware of what is going on, as well as telephoning Alex Beard. Oh, and as I speak there are 46 Fidelio tickets for sale on Viagogo so we know their origin, don't we. If there was anywhere else to go, I would never visit ROH again. This reeks like rotten fish. Wonder if Kaufman knows?

Thanks for that Dawnstar. I really would have hoped they had learned their lesson with the furore over Forza but, seemingly not. Clearly there is something to hide or surely they would come clean and be upfront about some productions being reserved for Friends only. I really hate this behaviour and not just because I want to see Fidelio, but because I want to trust a place I love and where I have spent tens of thousands of pounds over the years. The message you’ve posted almost sounds like an invitation to Friends to hoover up as many tickets as possible. Gutted. I will check this out tomorrow and, if correct, alert the relevant media.

Sounds to me like a problem to hand to the Usher's!!!

It really is getting so that London becomes a no-go area. Protests should have dedicated space. I'm thinking of asking ROH to resell my ticket because much though I want to see Hayward and Campbell, yesterday was such a horrendous experience I'm beginning to question coming to the capital anymore. If you are coming in to a station south of the river its virtually impossible to cross.

Reiterate what those who were there have said. In a strange and perverse way, this shows RB and its strength and breadth at its very best.

Does anyone know if the idiots in red are planning to caper about on Saturday as I am coming to the Matinee? Would need to come an hour earlier if they are. Yesterday was horrendous, despite the police having, supposedly, banning further demonstrations. Most grateful for any further information if anyone has any.

This is just terrible. How terribly unlucky. Steven I can imagine your despair so sending all good wishes for your recovery. You have been sadly missed and your many fans will be waiting anxiously for your return.

Agree JNC. It’s all this pretence that gets me. If I can’t get to see Kaufman without becoming a Friend then why not say so? WithForzawe had the great ‘website malfunction’ scam. Now we’re expected to believe that all the tickets for Fidelio packages sold out at 090o. Humbug.

Oh good. To us lesser mortals it is hard to understand how an allocation can be sold out at 0900. For ROH box office, why don’t you just come clean and say upfront that Tickets for Kaufman can only be purchased by Friends? It would be far more honest. Tired of all the pseudo egalitarianism.

Am quietly going mad here. Fidelio not included in packages but when you buy a package it is. But then it is all sold out! Nightmare. Given up. Osipova Swan Lake difficult.

Oh dear, we have the curse of Kaufmann again. His Fidelio is not included in the Mixed Packages for Ballet and Opera but is included in the Total Opera. Fair enough, (just), but hey, guess what, all the packages in Total Opera sold out before booking opens. Oh dear ROH, you don't want your regulars unless they are prepared to pay for enhanced access in which case the General Public can go do the other thing.

In layman's terms its an April Fool. Marketing speak would tell you it's a 'teaser.'

Well, actually we do and we will. That's because such a lengthy time span has ensued since a perfectly acceptable and functioning website was exchanged for a so-called 'new' and 're-vamped' version which, like so many of the new things that are billed as improvements, has proved to be ineffective and therefore a disappointment. We do not let the fact that we are committed fans blind us to the fact that we are also customers who deserve and indeed pay for a level of service that befits an International Opera House.