bridiem

Yes - I've encountered this and I've been tempted to complain but have been too afraid of the potential reaction... And I suppose they could say that if people can talk to each other on trains why shouldn't they watch TV or whatever. But I think it is different - TV/videos are generally louder and more intrusive. Even with phone conversations, which I know are sometimes necessary, I think they should not be on speakerphone and people should endeavour to keep their voices down. But what do I know.

I think that the booking problems really add insult to injury; the injury being a) the DQ prices, so I was booking worse tickets than usual as it was, and b) the fact that the biggest roles in Nutcracker (Clara, Hans Peter and Drosselmeyer) are unknown and therefore we are having to book blind.

That is outrageous. It is not normal - for years, there were no technical difficulties. (And the last few booking times, for me at least it worked fine.) What sort of system is it where you expect it not to work as intended?? (And does Alex Beard know that he was wrong?).

They may have 'gone' because you originally reserved them - might it be worth trying again since it seems to be working now?

I tried and failed on my phone, but eventually got in via Chrome on my laptop, not Incognito, and managed to book 2 more tickets so thought I'd better see if I could check out successfully, which I could. So I then booked the other tickets I wanted, though the actual seats I wanted had mainly gone. If the system can't cope with mass bookings at the given booking time, it's not fit for purpose.

I think I MIGHT have been able to book 1 ticket for DQ, but I won't be sure until/unless I receive the email. All other attempts to book failed. What a load of .......

Same here (and I was using Incognito mode having had this message initially in Chrome). Will try again.

Is this something different from the already existing streaming subscription service? (Genuine question - I don't subscribe so don't know.) It slightly irritates me when it says that prices are significantly lower than seeing the performances live. Of course they are! (And it's in no way equivalent to seeing the performances live.) And if this is a way of justifying ever higher prices for actually seeing performances live then it's doubly annoying.

That's interesting, @li tai po. The RBS describes the process of staging The Four Seasons here: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/2023/05/19/behind-macmillans-the-four-seasons-with-choreologist-giacomo-bevilacqua/ I assume that this re-staging (which sounds more like a radical dismemberment to me) has been approved by Lady MacMillan, but I too would have been very disappointed if I'd gone to these performances expecting to see The Four Seasons that I remember (and would love to see again).

Strewth! I look at these prices with some incredulity; I hadn't registered quite how much prices had gone up in such a short time (just looking at 'my' seats). Explains why I've been to to a third fewer performances in 2022-2023 than in 2018-2019 (and even then have spent more money, which can't continue).

If this is an ACE requirement, it's entirely irrational; what's the point of educating people to appreciate an art form if they then can't go and see it?

The one thing I don't think the ROH should be doing in response to budget difficulties is to continue to raise ticket prices so that it becomes (has become) what most people have always thought it was anyway - i.e. a very expensive and elitist organisation to which only well-off people can go. I have spent decades persuading people that this is not in fact the case; in the last few years, it's become impossible to disagree with them. And I don't understand how this approach is compatible with receiving what is still a huge amount of funding from ACE with its emphasis on accessibility etc etc.

I'm so glad that the dancers are being so lauded! They deserve every minute of it (and look as if they're enjoying it greatly, judging by Instagram! Though I'm sure it's very demanding too).

Thank you again! I was about to have a meltdown... So it's just DQ that's the issue. Baffling.

Thank you! That's a great relief.

Thank you Bluebird - in fact I go for side seats (see up).

Thank you. I normally go for the ends of rows F or G, eg F38 or F76 or equivalent. I'm wondering if they've moved these seats into the higher band. Very bad news if so...

I can't believe this. It seems the tickets I normally buy in the Amphi, which I had assumed were in the £52 price band, are in fact £67! Way more than last year for any 3-acter. Do they think the magic words 'Carlos Acosta' mean they can charge unlimited amounts? Or is Nutcracker similarly priced? I can't see those prices.

It's 5 July, isn't it (at least for higher level Friends)? Or is there another update?!

Hardly! There's often criticism of RB productions (as well as enthusiasm for them) on this forum.

Paige Bestington won the People's Choice Award a few weeks ago - and now she's leaving!

Just checked, and LCB also used the Prokofiev score.

I don't think anyone would have had any doubt about this, capybara! 😊

The Wallace Collection have replied and they say that although links may not usually be shared, this one can be shared because the lecture was free. So here is the text of the email dated yesterday: Please find a link below to a recording of our recent event, Out of This World: Dancing into Fairylands, which will be available to view for two weeks. (NOTE: this means 2 weeks from the broadcast date of 19th June.) Recording Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/ZOKFWh8xNTgT28TdzxdqhZbKyNp1Ro0_v9yX83IAE1UAHl3YWK3Z4WwLxvchbMIC.8kJzVTyo_fsduO_- Access Passcode: Q*B#f9Qt We hope that you enjoy watching this recording and look forward to welcoming you to more Wallace Collection events in the future. After you have watched, please consider filling out our feedback form. Your feedback will help us to build a more engaging and relevant programme. Find out more about future events via our website here. If you haven’t done so already, please consider joining our mailing list to receive our regular e-newsletters with updates on events, ways to explore the collection online, exhibitions and more. You can subscribe here.

Maybe so! But it could also be fun to see them cast against type.