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bridiem

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  1. bridiem
    I've received another email from Customer Services about the view from Upper Circle A41 and A42. They say that the producers of the Royal Ballet performance have revisited the sightlines and are happy to give me a 50% Gift Certificate in relation to my booking. I assume (hope) that this means that the seats (and other similar ones) will be acknowledged to have a restricted view and set at correspondingly lower prices in future. I'm obviously glad to be receiving a partial refund, but it still all seems bizarre to me that a) the theatre was designed in this way when it is usually going to involve performances (by the Royal Ballet or anyone else) where being able to see matters; and b) the sightlines were either not tested in advance and priced accordingly, or (even worse) were known to be bad in advance but not priced accordingly on the grounds that the audience probably wouldn't complain. I wonder how many seats will now be re-priced? And how will that affect the projected income for the Linbury??
  2. bridiem
    Yes, but it should be discussed in the first instance - or at least at the same time - with whoever programmes the Linbury for the range of performances of which dance is only one (but not the only one that would be affected by sightlines). In fact I'd be surprised if the RB decides on pricing for seats in the theatre when it's performing there.
  3. bridiem
    Well it's either buck-passing or genuine lack of understanding. I'm not sure which is more concerning.
  4. bridiem
    I contacted Customer Services on Friday night about the sightlines (from A41/42 in Upper Circle). I received a reply today saying that they are sorry to hear of my experience and will contact the Royal Ballet about this and get back to me. I find that rather strange. Surely the RB was only one participant in the planning of the new Linbury? The sightlines relate to the theatre itself, not to the particular company performing at the time. The same problem will occur whoever is performing. (I have replied to this effect.)
  5. bridiem
    Very true, Ian. I could just have said 'Does no-one simply aim to produce dance to music?' - I don't suppose anyone chooses music they don't consider to be good (or presents what they consider to be poor choreography). But there seems to be a tendency to over-intellectualise the approach. No (or very few) words are needed to present the context or purpose of an abstract work; all that matters is what we see, not what the choreographer was thinking about when s/he was creating it. It may (and probably should, if it's good) mean all sorts of different things to different people.
  6. bridiem
    Yes - no cast lists available in the Linbury, apparently, so buying a programme is unavoidable. And I found most of the notes about the works really quite preposterous. Lots of complex, huge ideas apparently being expressed in these short new works! Does no-one simply aim to produce good dance to good music any more??
  7. bridiem
    I quite agree, Bruce (except that I think having 3 resident choreographers works against inviting people in in sufficient numbers) - I was really looking forward to seeing these new works. But if this was the best available in terms of both new music and dance, God help both art forms. (And in fact, I don't think it is the best available. I do wonder how and why the works/choreographers/music were selected.)
  8. bridiem
    I have now emailed Customer Services in fact. I didn't specifically request a refund - I just laid the facts out before them.
  9. bridiem
    My friend and I sat in Upper Circle A41 and A42, in the middle of the side section. Sitting normally, we could see nothing. Leaning far forward, we could see a maximum of two thirds of the stage. How can these seats be sold without being described as restricted view?! I'm not sure I see the point of selling them at all, frankly. As for the new works (what I could see of them), and the new music (which unfortunately I could hear), I really feel too depressed to write anything much. The music for the second piece (Uncanny Valley by Alexander Whitley) was so awful that I actually got the giggles at one point. It was like a parody of the most miserable, grimmest possible contemporary music. And I'm afraid I found the choreography throughout the evening boring, banal and unimaginative. The dancers were of course excellent.
  10. bridiem
    It was indeed restricted to the point of being unable to see anything at all if seated normally. How ridiculous in a new theatre to allow that to be the case. Even sitting very far forward, at least a third of the stage was invisible. (And I have lower back problems so by the second half of the evening I was in a lot of pain and couldn't sit forward much of the time anyway.) I know the seats weren't expensive (£15), but I've paid less than that for some triple bills in the main house in recent years and had a very good view. I spoke to a member of staff in the interval and she suggested emailing customer services. I'll do that tomorrow. But why should I/we have to tell them something that is self evident?
  11. bridiem
    Oh dear. I see that I have booked Upper Circle side seats for tonight so it sounds as if it will be a very poor view. I'd naively assumed that in a new theatre all the sightlines would be OK... (and they're not described as Restricted View). Well, we'll see.
  12. bridiem
    Yes, I assume that is what she means; but if so it's not very clearly expressed and is open to (mis)interpretation.
  13. bridiem
    Did anyone go last night? (I'm seeing this on Friday.)
  14. bridiem
    Also, a new production of an opera can be enormously different from previous productions, whereas a new production of a ballet might be pretty well identical to the previous one with the only possible significant change being in the design (and often not even that). And I know next to nothing about opera, but it does seem to me that there are comparatively few one-act operas whereas new/revived ballets are very often one act (and therefore smaller scale and potentially less enticing for less experienced ballet goers if nothing much is known about them). So I think it is all quite complicated. All I can say is that in my experience, regular ballet goers (including me) are always keen to see new or revived works (unless they saw the latter first time round and have no wish to see it again!).
  15. bridiem
    Oh dear. Mica Bradbury replaced Romany Pajdak as one of the Girl's friends. I saw signs - which I thought were a bit bigger/clearer than before, since I was actually able to see them - at the desk where I picked up the cast sheet and at the desk where ice creams are sold in the Amphi (so I assumed they were at all desks).
  16. bridiem
    And last night there were a number of clear notices about a cast change in The 2 Ps. I hope that arrangement continues.
  17. bridiem
    Exactly what I thought! She's amazing and just seems to get better and better. I also loved Cuthbertson and Muntagirov. The end of the first act felt like a real tragedy; and the reconciliation pas de deux was correspondingly moving. The head touches are so poignant, and after the last one instead of touching his own head his hand changes direction to gently touch the girl's face, as if unconsciously recognising that they are now one. And as one they move towards the chair to rejoice in their unity which is both sealed and symbolised by the return of the second pigeon. Result: bliss.
  18. bridiem
    Ah, I see what you mean. They're there in their own right, so to speak, not just as performers (as during a performance, when their ranks are not shown on cast lists).
  19. bridiem
    Funny how the presenter is allowed to be at the top, out of alpha order. Presumably she's more important than everyone else. I can't see why the dancers' ranks need to be shown anyway.
  20. bridiem
    No, not the music! I just remember it being so crowded with scenery and plot and characters that it was like watching a full-length work squashed into a one-acter. (And no, I wouldn't want it expanded to a full-length...).
  21. bridiem
    I would only want to see Sweet Violets again it if it's been reviewed/pruned/revised so that there isn't just so much (too much) of everything in it. (Related to which, I understand Frankenstein has been looked at again, which I'm glad to hear.) But with that proviso that could be a pretty good bill.
  22. bridiem
    Very pleased to have the previous-style cast sheets back. No cast change slips at the matinée yesterday, but I now know to look at the (half-hidden half the time) screen by the (still unsigned) Amphi cloakroom, and there were indeed some changes going through at the bottom of the screen. So I went over and started writing them down (having to wait for the text to go through of course), and one of the staff offered me a sheet from which I could copy the changes, and assured me that they were only small roles. Every single time a member of staff has mentioned cast changes to me since Open Up, I've been told 'they're only small', regardless of what the changes have been. Every single time. I did say to this person (who was perfectly pleasant) that the role in The Two Pigeons (Elizabeth McGorian replaced by Kristen McNally) was not a small role but a significant one. (In fact it's insulting to any dancer who is being replaced to imply that it really doesn't matter.) She just looked confused. I have to say that I really hate being subjected to this kind of corporate dishonesty. If there are cast changes, publicise them properly, don't pass (false) judgement on how important they may or may not be, and be done with it. Just stop all this stupidity.
  23. bridiem
    Yes - I think that's what I love most about his dancing - the clarity. No fudging. Reminds me of Lesley Collier.
  24. bridiem
    Wonderful to see Asphodel Meadows again - I loved it at its première and wondered if I would still like it so much seeing it after such a long time, but I was glad to find that I did. I think the choreography is beautiful and interesting and expressive, and set to gorgeous Poulenc music. I particularly enjoyed Mayara Magri's performance. The Two Pigeons - overcome all over again by its brilliance. So full of beauty, symbolism, and the most profound of human feelings and behaviours. Lightweight rom com this ain't (or at least only at one of its countless levels). It occurred to me today that it could just as well be called 'The Prodigal Pigeon'. Or a bit more prosaically, 'The Prodigal Boyfriend'. But you get my drift. It has echoes of so many familiar themes (love, betrayal, weakness, attraction to evil, attraction to the unknown, discontent with the familiar, loss, reconciliation, forgiveness etc), all packaged in a work of incredible beauty and apparent simplicity. When that second pigeon flies in, it is a moment of extraordinary power. And terrific dancing from Campbell and Choe - what a lovely partnership. So grateful to be able to see such performances.
  25. bridiem
    She was the epitome of purity; such a beautiful dancer.
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