Blossom

I have just had to rebook car parking as couldn't edit my last one - but so worth it!

So pleased I thought ahead to buy tickets for Weds night and not Thursday when it started looking like a lockdown would happen. Assumed would be a Friday night lockdown so very thankful I managed to get seats for Weds.

Wish I had seen this beforehand! Very much enjoyed last night. Despite the mask, felt like I could breathe again.

Thanks for writing a review. I am booked to go in December if it is still open then... Hoping I will still get to see it.

I think the issue is their advertising of the event. Has anyone seen any paid advertising reaching out beyond their customer database? If you imagine that 1. A large proportion of older people and high risk people won't feel comfortable travelling to or sitting in a theatre 2. People are less likely to travel from outside London 3. Unlikely to reach a tourist audience given the current situation This means they really do need to demonstrate they can reach new audiences who are more willing to go out.. They will need to identify the digital signals for these sorts of audiences and a great opportunity to focus on the fact that these performances are highly affordable because they are so much shorter. I know their marketing is exceptionally short term at the moment, but they also missed a trick last weekend with their full page ad in the Times on Saturday's supplement to drive streaming of Dark Age - it was very hard to tell they were trying to push streaming and there was no clear call to action for readers.

It most definitely isn't! I've pulled together a spreadsheet so I can track what's on when so I don't miss the bits I really want to see... I'vej jotted some notes also based on what companies have announced. You should be able to access here

Ooh a lovely insight into what will make it into next week's performances!

Seats in row A came up for stalls when I was booking so assume they are using the stalls in full. Did anyone manage to book any single tickets? I tried for this performance (to save completely spoiling my daughter by taking her a 3rd week in a row!) but couldn't, which is fine, but thought it somewhat strange that there were none in any of the areas I was looking on a number of dates.

Surely with limited seats available that’s only fair to ensure seats are still available for public booking?

Personally think that they need to think bigger with their streaming. Yes it is expensive and an additional cost given that their physical audience is smaller, but they are now 'media owners' in the arts space and could offset some costs with a hybrid model by working with appropriate advertisers to sponsor streams in addition to charging a pay per view fee.

Don't know about Nutcracker but I think that the article which was in the Times on 28 Sept said that there was a plan to stream. Would certainly make sense to help close the gap in finances with a socially distanced audience.

So sad I have had to cancel a friend for ENB at Sadler's Wells - but on the plus side, my daughter gets to go to another evening of ballet. At least I have one child who is willing to come with me!

Slightly off topic but on topic for the whole vimeo connection conversation. I just had the opportunity to try out the Occulus Quest VR headset which is being released onto the market this week. It's not just for gamers - the sales pitch also talks about how there's a cinema mode for viewing e.g. Netflix content, so I gave the Back on Stage performance a try. It was pretty incredible - a very realistic cinematic experience rather than feeling like you are there but an interesting tech solution to feel like you are at a cinema streaming.

They sent out the Patrons email to all Friends by accident on Friday by the look of things. The good news is that we got a sneak peek at the dates for performances (w/c 2 Nov for Elite Syncopations programme and w/c 9 Nov for Golden Hour programme). Emails seem to be a bit off target lately - supporters email both asked people to join to open up earlier booking but also shared that friends will receive season guide this week.

Very much enjoyed the performance and looking forward to more opportunities to live stream from home (or anywhere in the world) in the future- hopefully this will be a long term option alongside cinema streaming. Stand out moments for me had to be - Fille- such joyous dancing from O’Sullivan/Sambe and welled up a bit by the end - Carousel- the most perfect piece for Magri and for Ball. It could have been made for them. Left me wanting more from Carousel and the genius that is MacMillan too Can’t wait for the upcoming live performances.

Waiting to book this on Weds am - hoping availability is still good! My 'ballet buddy' emigrated over the summer, so I've decided I'm going to try to take someone new with me as often as possible to these new, shorter programmes to try to pass on the bug (that's ballet bug not Covid!!!).

just booked the day off work so I can catch as much as possible!

Final Don Q was my favourite - really performed it! Lots of pressure there I suppose with it being Acosta's production...

Also noticed passed events attended have disappeared. Good job I have a spreadsheet 😂 although 2020 is mostly greyed and crossed out Covid cancellations.

Thanks for the clarity on seating. I assume choices can be made by seating area and price. With a theatre like ROH, it sounds like it's going to be a bit of a roulette in terms of lines of sight etc depending on how they price these seats.

Ooh this sounds great. Would love it if they also offered some of the gorgeous campaign photography and even some studio photography. No idea what the costs are for them to produce but surely I am not alone?

I've read on Instagram that there will be a 'small audience including students and health workers' which sounds like a nice approach

Thoroughly enjoyable evening and the judges had a tough job. What I think needs to be acknowledged though is ENB's incredible studio/theatre/digital stage which is what will allow them to facilitate their transformation into a digital broadcaster during this really challenging period. The filming of the event was covered from every angle and I am sure the digital production side of things was a significant operation. Having the small audience in house made it feel more like a real live performance - no doubt for the dancers as much as the people at home (although I did miss the whooping and cheering from ENB colleagues which usually accompanies these events. This taster of what ENB can do has me quite excited for their digital programme. Feeling uplifted having had the opportunity to watch some live ballet this evening.

Posted at the beginning of the evening when Ore Oduba was introducing the event with a (spaced) row of masked up judges (?) behind him. Obviously through the evening the dancers and presenters weren't. Why so critical of a simple observation at a specific moment in time?

Somewhat sad to see everyone masked up on stage. New world.