JohnS

Many thanks Saodan and Richard. Given that the calendar information is still available and really clear and so useful, I take it the ROH could readily provide a link? I’m hoping the current Calendar link is not what the website designers intended and will be sorted - but as the website has gone through a fair amount of testing this is poor.

I think in the Ballet we are able to empathise with the Creature - William’s death seems much more an accident than murder to me. It’s just that the reanimation scene is very rushed when there might have been opportunity to show the Creature experiencing his physical being, new limbs, the immediate surroundings etc before Frankenstein realises the Creature has come to life, is repulsed by what he sees and is appalled at what he’s done. As regards the ‘lurking’ early in Act 2, I think this is pretty effective in the theatre if you have a decent view but I do appreciate that for many seats with restricted views, it’s very unclear what is going on. Again a plea for the production team to look at perspectives other than centre Stalls, Grand Tier, Balcony etc. To me the Creature’s shadow is deliberate and chilling. In Act 3 it’s Frankenstein who is haunted by the Creature and sees him dancing with guests just as he sees Justine and William etc from the past. When Frankenstein’s haunted images are replaced by the actual Creature embarking on his blood fest, is this when the Creature is back in his original costume? I can’t recall and as James says, we’re more engaged in the dance than Frankenstein’s father’s death. Overall, my sympathies are very much for the Creature rather than Frankenstein who does nothing to help Justine when he knows she is innocent, I think more so in the Ballet than the novel where he suspects/isn’t in a position to intervene as he only arrives after Justine has been charged? But then I tend to be pro Caliban and think Prospero has a great deal to answer for.

But filters seem only to work for one purchase - which will be incredibly frustrating when booking for a number of performances when a booking period opens and when ‘Calendar’ is completely blank.

Thanks Richard - I’d been looking for a ‘Contact us’ link as that’s what it used to be called and is still there on other pages. All very confusing. I’m afraid I’ve drawn a complete blank with Calendar.

I wouldn’t normally post from Instagram etc but thought this might lift the spirits. Schools Matinee is fast approaching 28 March and public debut 13 April.

I agree - it should be accessible from the home page but it can be found on other pages: http://www.roh.org.uk/contact

Can’t help thinking that the website rather complements the shambles in SW1A? Calendar is completely hopeless.

Will be fascinating to see Akram Khan’s ’Creature’ and another full length production.

I’m pleased it’s not just me and my lack of IT skills. I assume this development takes account of the testing some weeks ago which I’m pleased to say completely passed me by so the design choices/functionality have already had the benefit of testing/feedback etc. I always found ‘What’s on’ excellent and very much liked the detail in the calendar to plan trips. I have contacted the website people as I’m really struggling to see how I’ll cope when Autumn booking opens - fortunately some time off.

I’m afraid I now see the new layout on my iPad - very confusing, can’t see what’s on, can’t see ‘booking periods’. I can’t believe this Is progress.

But would then require a scene change if Frankenstein is to meet Clerval (admittedly very brief but I think useful for the narrative). https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=POFQ7gxLwdw

Forza Insight 5 March News still shows ‘comments closed’ - but never opened.

Very pleased to see your post ElleC and that you find Frankenstein even more impressive this time round. I don’t get to see Frankenstein until later but am very much looking forward to the 23 March matinee/evening performances. I’ve been reading the discussion with interest and am still thinking about Nogoat’s very informative post much earlier, setting out the tweaks Liam Scarlett has introduced and the defence made of the very brief encounter between Frankenstein and the Creature at the end of Act 1 (page 4 above and apologies for not quoting properly). Nogoat writes: “... it’s very clear in the book that despite the sheer intellectual achievement of his obsessive pursuit of the secret of life through the reanimation of dead tissue, Victor’s response is not elation but instant repulsion – “I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room…” The justification certainly is in the novel with Frankenstein’s minimal description of his revulsion and how he fled the room. But that is written from Frankenstien’s perspective and there’s no reference to the Creature and his response to ‘creation’. I don’t know the novel well enough but I thought the Creature years afterwards reflected on his creation/rejection when he spoke to Frankenstein so does the reanimation scene need to be solely from Frankenstein’s pretty perfunctory description? In the Ballet I think we see the Creature looking to his creator for recognition and only finding rejection. I appreciate it’s difficult to imagine the Creature having awareness/insight immediately on reanimation but could a case be made to draw on both Frankenstein’s and the Creature’s perspectives? In the Ballet it is so rushed and to me asks for a little more - nothing too elaborate but more time for audiences to appreciate the import of what’s happening. I’ll see what I think after my London trip and a couple of performances.

I think the interval was standard length and very good to hear Bernard Haitink reminiscing on his early years and 65 yeas on the podium. The dvd 3 hours or whatever doesn’t start until 35 minutes in. Perhaps time stands still/goes backwards in Bruckner - even with Bernard Haitink? Quite a contrast with Meistersinger Act 3 which just flowed so freely and seemed over in no time at all.

To avoid diverting R&J unnecessarily, I’ve put some thoughts about News ‘comments closed’ etc on the ‘New’ ROH thread.

Bernard Haitink conducted a number of ballet programmes - Daphnis and Chloe, Romeo and Juliet, and I think a Stravinsky Triple bill. And yes you are correct: http://rohcollections.org.uk/performance.aspx?performance=14024&row=81

The Royal Opera House’s News page includes an item on the Romeo & Juliet Insight on 13 March. Good to see News being used, although a day or two after the Insight was publicised on Facebook. But the item includes the ‘Comments for this article are closed’ statement, not that a facility to comment was ever provided. In the last week or so this statement has appeared on a number of News items and I fear it may be the norm. I wonder if the ROH doesn’t like the way comments have been used to ask pertinent questions (for example the Forza ticketing problems)? If the ROH is abandoning comments for News items, a much better statement would be ‘Comments are welcome on Facebook or Twitter’. But with social media comments seem a bit more ephemeral and there doesn’t appear to be a culture of question/challenge and the organisation responding. I’m much more interested in the answer than the question being posed. If the ROH is moving away from proper engagement with audiences I find this disappointing and a retrograde step for management to take, avoiding accountability/scrutiny. I also noticed that on Frankenstein, the ROH posted the first press review (Anna Winter for The Stage) but quickly (within hours) withdrew the link. For some days there was a message saying press reviews would be added and today five links have indeed been added, including the Anna Winter review and a couple more supportive reviews. Again I wonder if the ROH is showing itself as being rather too keen to play games. I do hope Alex Beard provided some assurances to the Ballet Assiciation that the ROH wishes to engage with audience members and is addressing concerns raised. I look forward to reading the report in due course but I’m left feeling more than a little uneasy.

Martin Kettle’s 5 star review: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/mar/11/lso-haitink-fellner-barbican-90th-birthday-bruckner-mozart-review

Good to see early notice of the Romeo & Juliet Insight on News. https://www.roh.org.uk/news/watch-live-the-royal-ballet-rehearse-romeo-and-juliet-on-13-march-2019 But less good to see: ‘Comments for this article are closed.’ There was never a facility to comment as far as I can see and I fear the exclusion of a facility to comment on News items now appears to be the norm. Perhaps a better line would be: ‘Comments are welcome on FaceBook’ or whatever social media the ROH would like audiences to use.

Hi Alison - 7:30 this evening and on iPlayer (or whatever it’s now called) for 30 days. Well worth having a sneak preview of the end of the concert and the ovations on YouTube - whilst I’m definitely not a Bruckner aficionado, Bernard Haitink is wonderful. I’d watch him conduct anything, even Happy Bithday, but he might get a surprise if the LSO did this: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6wZCHFIplXE

I see the LSO has already put the concert on YouTube:

Radio 3 is broadcasting last night’s celebratory concert - Bernard Haitink conducting the LSO in Mozart’s Piano Concerto no 22 with Till Fellner and Bruckner’s 4th Symphony (Romantic). The interval is devoted to an interview with Bernard Haitink. So many memorable nights at the Royal Opera House and wonderful that Bernard Haitink is still conducting, a consummate musician. I do hope Radio 3 also broadcasts the forthcoming Mahler 4 concert.

Romeo & Juliet Insight 13 March now being drawn to attention by ROH: https://www.roh.org.uk/insights/insights-romeo-and-juliet?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social

The Ballet Association also arranges visits, sometimes with other organisations - seeing the Royal Ballet Upper School in class is always a highlight of the year.

Thanks Penelope - just in case you were referring to the quote I’d included in my post, the January newsletter includes a paragraph about Alex Beard’s meeting: http://www.balletassociation.co.uk/Newsletters/news_19Jan.html I’d suggested some questions to the Chairman who I imagine was inundated with questions from many members and I’m sure he’ll have found a way of structuring the session to cover many of the points raised. Alison and Floss have already explained that there’ll be a report in due course which I’m sure will make for very interesting reading, particularly for those like me who were unable to attend.