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Geoff

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  1. Geoff
    What about the other comments which said people here preferred the filmed version of DD to the live show?
  2. Geoff
    Good question Jake. If I might be allowed to refer back to some comments I made a few weeks ago, perhaps this is relevant: https://www.balletcoforum.com/topic/29265-royal-ballet-swan-lake-2024/?do=findComment&comment=437074
  3. Geoff
    More news about the Arts Council and the Wigmore Hall, to quote from the current issue of Private Eye: >>"The regime at ACE is horrific: an Orwellian culture of ideological zealotry that everyone wants to speak out against but daren't because there's too much to lose. ACE isn't interested in music, excellence, quality... only social engineering. In return for its money it burdens us with unfeasible amounts of reporting about diversity targets, inclusion goals, the number of trans people in the audience... all wrapped up in meaningless language." The Wigmore spent a third of its ACE grant on reporting. And though the grant is for offstage community work, ACE had used it to dictate matters on stage, triggering a relationship breakdown.
  4. Geoff
    Currently the company is not selling tickets in the Balcony (the highest/cheapest tier) for every performance, so cheaper seats are only available on some dates. That said this policy may not be driven by casting but other considerations. I agree with those who say it would be good to know more.
  5. Geoff
    Not to be silly but given that Alina just withdrew from her BRB Sleeping Beauty dates at Sadlers Wells (which were set for not long after) do we have confirmation of her participation in this important season?
  6. Geoff
    Russian ballet teachers: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5OW_USIvr-/
  7. Geoff
    I agree with this advice. Also, as has been discussed in other places on the Forum, although many of the Front of House staff are good, there are increasing reports of what one might call sloppy practices (eg off the top of my head, the staff prioritising having fun with each other over serving audience members; giving cheeky but pointless responses to serious requests; bullying people into not checking what’s in the programmes; and - as happened to me - being happy to lie to try and stop me complaining about something, which I escalated). If management don’t know that their team isn’t doing their jobs properly, how can they help things improve?
  8. Geoff
    This Sunday Times link may help get behind the paywall for today‘s article: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/46b379aa-464e-45dc-a955-18f3ac34c467?shareToken=28ea91777cc969a02967119b12f40360
  9. Geoff
    Indeed. And if I may say so, the advisory message appears to have been drafted by the same illiterate ROH team as have been responsible for (for example) the muddled lines about under 5s: >> 'some content suitable for 16+' Although this phrase has been praised here, surely it is hardly helpful? It tries to say something about what is *unsuitable* but in fact says nothing about that, only that older people may find “some” of the show “suitable”. My old English teacher would have put a big red ring around that.
  10. Geoff
    Dunno who you mean but let me say this. I have been professionally preoccupied with libel and defamation for decades but would never rely on the opinions of the average “legal professional”. Libel is a v tricky and specialised area of law and sensible lawyers do not pretend to know about it unless they actually practice it. Well said @Roberta Yes our moderators have a horrible time and it is good to be reminded of that. We all need to remember that sadly the world is getting too keen on using lawyers to waste time expressing hurt feelings even though they would fail in court. >>respectful it MUST be Are we really so sure that “respect“ is the best test? Or is the word something of a weasel, easy to pay lip service to but slippery nonetheless? Take an example a few years ago when I was riled up by an awful new show on the ROH stage, Acosta‘s one-act Carmen (pretty robustly criticised on this Forum). Who exactly am I supposed to “respect”? Acosta for his past career as an international star? Presumably yes, respect for that. The dancers for doing their best with dreadful material? Yes again, respect. But Acosta’s failing (imho) early stage attempts at choreography? Respect for what exactly? His “effort”, for his “being so brave”, for “trying so hard”, as if he is a primary school child in an all-shall-have-prizes smiley culture without discrimination, judgement, taste? And what about Kevin? We here discussed at the time whether he should have let that work go on to being performed in front of the public, rather than hold it back until hopefully something better emerged? Is that “respectful” towards him? What does that even mean? Or is “respect” not quite the right optic, given the balance of Kevin’s responsibilities as head of the company?
  11. Geoff
    You don‘t say how old your daughter is Tufty, and you know her best of course, so I am sure you have made a wise decision. But in general your comment raises an important issue. ROH has put a 16+ age limit on this show, obviously because of the MacMillan. One can argue about whether this is one of his finest works or not, whether he was starting to try and shock for the sake of shocking or was sincerely responding to his source material, and so on. But objectively speaking, what are we presented with that is quite so problematic? As has been discussed earlier in this thread, the story of Woyzeck is a classic. Perhaps no longer as familiar as say Faust or Romeo&Juliet or Carmen (all pretty shocking stories when taken seriously, eg devil worship, suicide, erotomania) Is it the content or the images on stage (adopts Molly Sugden voice “didn’t think it was very naice”) or somehow both, particularly when set to disturbingly gorgeous music? Lots of people didn’t like this ballet, for a variety of reasons, ranging (if one reads through all the comments) from thoughtless philistinism to epicurean disappointment at MacMillan not hitting the spot. Good to warn audiences that this isn’t the sort of holiday tutu fare some people identify with “ballet”, but at what point does a refusal to engage with aspects of the troubles of the 20th century shade into over-protectiveness? I have no answers (thinking back I would have judged the best age for seeing this show differently for each of my children) but the conversation has been interesting.
  12. Geoff
    The General rehearsal was last night. We don't review rehearsals but I think it is worth noting for those who are still undecided as to whether to get a ticket, there is no gorilla in the new production by Damiano Michieletto. In fact this show feels almost like a companion piece to the same director's Cav and Pag. As Amazon might say, if you liked that, you may like this one.
  13. Geoff
    Those of us with memories of the RB production may feel differently…
  14. Geoff
    Thank you, got it now!
  15. Geoff
    I have come in a little late (apparently the matinee started 20 minutes ago) but I still can‘t find a working link. Sorry but what should I be clicking on?
  16. Geoff
    @Roberta thank you so much, I’d love to see this. It is not yet 6am in the UK - but when I click on Schedule I only see events coming up later today and in the future. Have the links already been taken down or am I doing something wrong?
  17. Geoff
    News just in about a robust response to the Arts Council: https://slippedisc.com/2024/03/has-wigmore-hall-just-kicked-out-the-arts-council/ As one of the commentators writes: an absolute necessity in this day and age to avoid the stringent, unartistic and frequently non-sensical reporting requirements and investment principles set out by a puppet quango which utterly fails our industry on a near daily basis.
  18. Geoff
    +1
  19. Geoff
    Welcomw to the Forum Miles! I think this is a great idea for a thread, thank you very much. I am looking forward to lots of suggestions from others. Let me start by plugging the videos by the Cecchetti expert Julie Cronshaw. Here is her channel: https://m.youtube.com/@juliecronshaw7013 As to my special interest I have a thing for the history of classical ballet so hope to learn more.
  20. Geoff
    That reads like - perhaps logical but nonetheless - assumption, rather than house rules. Or have you seen any such signs over the years? I haven’t ever seen one. Hence my question about rules.
  21. Geoff
    She was great. One of the Osipova Vetseras was as powerful a performance as I have seen on stage in over 60 years of going to the ROH.
  22. Geoff
    Might I shift the focus of the discussion slightly? Sticking with how to appeal to younger audiences, has there been a change of policy at the ROH recently with regard to bringing in one’s own food? Just had a message from a couple of young people, happily enjoying the MacMillan triple bill from seats they can just about afford on a budget, and (as they have before) sharing something from a Pret A Manger bag in the Amphi bar. They are not (yet?) superfans (ie going more than once a week) but one certainly goes more than once a month and so knows the rules. Or used to know the rules. Tonight he writes that nearly everywhere was “reserved” and that there are now signs saying “We request that only food and drink purchased from one of our bars or cafe may be consumed at this table”. Leaving aside the sadly rather typically ROH clumsy choice of the word “consumed”, how long has this been the way the Amphi bar is run? Apparently the outdoor section of the Piazza terrace is still free for one’s own food and drink. But in any case these two young people were told off by staff, allowed I suppose as the rules have obviously tightened up, but this does not signal much of a welcome when people in their twenties need to be careful of the difference in cost between overpriced ROH sandwiches and what they can bring with them. What do people think? Will this kind of staff behaviour damage the chances of building the future long term audience - or is the short term profitability of bar sandwiches what matters most at the moment?
  23. Geoff
    For anyone else thinking along these lines, I would just like to point out that the longer of the two pieces of music this ballet is set to - Verklärte Nacht - is one of the most gorgeous and greatest pieces ever written for orchestra, always worth hearing live.
  24. Geoff
    ROH opera Lucia. Special offer widely promoted across the internet: 40% off “the best seats available” using code ALISA40 on nights 19, 22, and 25 April only. Limited time.
  25. Geoff
    Oh I don‘t know. As Danny Kaye would sing: "A swan? Me a swan? Ah, go on." He said, "Yes, you're a swan. Take a look at yourself in the lake and you'll see." And he looked, and he saw, and he said, "I am a swan! Wee!"
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