Lizbie1

Resurrecting this thread to ask whether anyone yet knows who the TBC Sambe will be partnering in Rubies is? They're leaving the announcement rather later than usual - is this an oversight or is there some doubt?

Golding is listed for Jewels on 3rd April: http://www.roh.org.uk/events/qbs3l

Mystery solved, thanks!

I haven't been able to see as much of Naghdi as others so have no strong opinions about whether she should be promoted, but wasn't Yuhui Choe the Rose Fairy in the most recent live screening and in the other performances featuring Cuthbertson and Hayward? Unless you're talking about a previous broadcast, of course. Edited to make clear I hold no particular brief for Choe either!

The Bolshoi certainly used to present it on its own as well - their website has it timed at an hour and three quarters including the interval, which fits my memories. I can't remember feeling short changed ever, just glad of the early night! Of course if I'd been travelling far I might have felt differently, though probably not: I'm philistine enough to think most shows could happily lose half an hour at least.

Thank you! Do you know when they normally announce the Midscale tours? I can't see any mention of them for 2018.

As someone who goes to see opera as frequently as ballet, I'd add (and a friend said the same to me) that the ballet audience is much better dressed

Speaking very much as a non-local, I really hope they find a way of letting the people of Hull get first dibs.

That does sound beyond the pale, though I hope that posters here at least make some allowances for children at matinees: I certainly don't go to a matinee for a child-friendly ballet and expect the same degree of reverential hush as is normal at an evening performance. As for tips, I think it's just a case of thinking something along the lines of the saying that living well is the best revenge. I also bear in mind that the audience at the ROH is mostly extraordinarily well behaved and responds well to requests to sit back or stop their phone from flashing or whatever - I've certainly seen nothing to equal the Russian Bolshoi-goer who, when his phone rang in the middle of a performance, calmly answered it and started conducting a conversation! I try to remember two incidents which have put minor annoyances in context: the first was some kind of medical emergency during I forget which opera, and the paramedics had to do their thing within the auditorium behind the back row - this carried on throughout Act 1. There were obviously bleeps and comings and goings and so on: I remember at the time I was vaguely cross that they hadn't taken it outside the auditorium, but that was obviously quite wrong of me and it's since served as a reminder that there are more important things. The second was at an Andras Schiff recital where I was very annoyed throughout the first half by a loudly ticking wristwatch. When I mentioned it (tentatively, thank God!) to my suspect she was very apologetic, said no-one had ever mentioned it before, removed her watch and explained that it must have been resonating on her prosthetic arm!

I don't like it either but I was there last night (side Amphitheatre) and maybe I was lucky about where I was seated but from my position the conversation was more a low murmur than a deafening row. And this is no justification, but as far as I'm aware people in previous eras would have merrily chatted through the whole piece: sitting in respectful silence is a relatively modern vogue. While I'd rather people had kept quiet, I can't help thinking that it's not Tchaikovsky's most inspired piece of writing anyway. If they'd chatted during the Panorama, however...!

I was a regular at the (pre-remont) Bolshoi for a couple of years and can confirm that the cloakroom facilities were superb, more so than they usually are in Russia. However this is a matter of necessity over there given the bulky coats, scarves and hats which are a basic requirement during a Russian winter. As I recall, the cloakrooms were barely used once Spring arrived. I usually take my coat and modest backpack into the auditorium with me as my journey home takes over two hours and the trains are infrequent at night: a two minute delay could mean the difference between getting home at midnight (a rare luxury!) and half past one. My things can always be safely stowed under my seat, though. I do agree that it's a bit much to be taking a big coat into the auditorium and then being too nice to let it touch the (in my experience spotless) floor under the seats. I had a very itchy one either side of me on Saturday afternoon and they did encroach uncomfortably. On the subject of catching trains: one of my pet hates is unreliable performance timings, and they seem to me to be getting less accurate at ROH of late. Is it just my perception or is this in part caused by increasingly sloppy punctuality? Everything seems to start 5 minutes late this season, and the intervals appear to be overrunning as well. (It's beginning to remind me of Moscow in that respect at least!) And don't get me started on the ROH's apparent policy of setting start times to finish as close to 10.30 as possible and the extravagant length and frequency of intervals.

I enjoy reading these forums immensely, so I'm glad to have been of service!

Hello to everyone, I'm breaking my duck here to say that the dates for the separate productions, as well as some vague early casting intentions, are up at http://www.victorhochhauser.co.uk/page/3/HOW-TO-BOOK.php.