Geoff

As I understand it, streamed operas from Vienna are currently free: https://play.wiener-staatsoper.at These casts suggest there are some good shows coming up shortly: https://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/en/staatsoper/media/detail/news/the-vienna-state-opera-opens-its-digital-archive-during-lockdown/

Some of us may remember this discussion: A professor from Royal Holloway has just reviewed an academic article about this sort of cultural activity. Here is a link in case of interest (to the review, not to the article itself, which is sadly only free to those with academic access): https://issforum.org/reviews/PDF/AR989.pdf

For those who haven’t seen the news: https://slippedisc.com/2020/09/breaking-anna-netrebko-is-in-hospital-with-covid-pneumonia/ Wishing her her all the very best.

The usually well-informed online gossip site Popbitch had this story this week: Earlier this month, the government pledged £1.6bn to save Britain's cultural industries as they face an uncertain future under the coronavirus. At the front of this effort was theatre and film director, Sam Mendes. As part of his consultation with the government, Mendes was required to ring 10 Downing Street, where he was told to hold for the Prime Minister. But there was no hold-tone or background music. The PM's phone was simply left upended. Whether or not Mendes heard the ins and outs of the

You are quite right Fonty: the film was cranked at one speed but played back at another, creating the effect of the dancers going too fast. This is either lazy or underfunded television production, or perhaps the programme was made before variable speed mechanisms were available (do you happen to know what these two extracts come from and who made this?) By the time of Kevin Brownlow’s various wonderful series about the early days of cinema - made from 1980 onwards for Thames TV - there was more than enough technical expertise around to sort out these sorts of issues.

Not ballet, but this useful link probably belongs here (rather than in “Not ballet”) as it is unlikely to interest those who don't speak German: https://www.nachtkritik.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17785:sammlung-corona-theater-online&catid=1767&Itemid=100089

Many thanks Stucha, I would have missed this otherwise. Just to add that the production goes back to 1952 but the recording is (I think, corrections welcome) from 2015.

The list is something of a nonsense Fonty, you are right to query it. As I have received similar (maybe identical) attempts at social science polling from different Arts Council-supported organisations I can only imagine that the ROH is required to gather this non-data as part of the Maoist requirements that lie behind receiving ACE support.

Agree 100%!

So let LS have the rights to his inept fiddling. Then let someone else with a better grasp of stagecraft do a new production, using Petipa/Ivanov and MacFarlane’s magnificent designs. What a show that could be. But no doubt too simple and straightforward a solution.

Wonder if the various booking dates will stay? For example Friends are currently set to book rehearsals from tomorrow morning, General booking from April 15. Alex Beard's announcement - to "close the building to the public and cancel all performances" - leaves open the possibility that booking will go ahead as normal. Anyone know any more?

From the live report on the Guardian website: Q: When will we know this is going to be over? Whitty says this will run for some time. "This is not two weeks and we’re done. This is a significant period of time."

During today's official press conference, I think it was Chris Whitty who said this is not "two weeks and we're done" but significantly longer (the BBC probably has the exact quote). Some bodies have made date announcements, others (like the government or the ROH just now) are leaving things open. The experts are clearly monitoring events as they develop and it is far too soon to set an exact timetable. So when we see announcements saying such-and-such is closed "until April 10th" we should prepare for the possibility that the date will be extended.

I apologise. I was sent this link by one of my senior UN colleagues who told me it is a good example of how to communicate these complicated issues to a general audience.