Richard LH

The Hayward/Bonelli Sat Mat is sold out again now, though other options remain...

...just one £4 amphi standing left for this...more options on other dates though.

I'm pleased you loved it Buddy. When you consider how much effort goes into putting on a production like this, it would be a great shame if everyone reacted to it like me.

No real reason, MAB, I was just trying to be a little sarcastic about our current issues with Russia.... As you are familiar with the ballet, I will be interested in your further thoughts once you have watched this performance. As I said, perhaps it's me...

Did anyone watch this strange production live, and manage to see it through to the end? I caught up with it on YouTube today, which at least had the advantage of enabling a skip-through. I'm sure these are talented dancers, but this is a ballet with ponderous, tuneless music and choreography. The latter often seemed to revert to a general jogging excercise for the corps, with a "repeated and rather tiresome display of pseudo-oriental hand, arm and body movements" (this borrowed from a review of an earlier performance). There was a general lack of characterisation that you could relate to, not helped by the leads changing casts for each Act, preventing any continuity or development in their performances. It made the whole thing pretty depressing - which seemed to be reflected by the sad/bored faces of the interviewer and her various interviewees (not understanding Russian I can only go by body language). The rather unfortunately-named lead male, "Ferkhad", was supposed to be some sort of painter, but appeared in what looked like the garb of an ER medic, whilst the spotty costumes on many of the ladies included two larger upper frontal spots, thoughtfully placed, with jewelled additions in the case of the favoured few. And even tassels! Pretty tacky, all round. Referencing our "Are 32 fouettés necessary" thread, they seemed to be thought so here, as such a sequence was arbitrarily thrown in at one point (I think I counted about 24 turns but was distracted by the annoying applause half way through). Much of the audience seemed to have already left by the end of the curtain calls, and the co-ordinated clapping of the remainder seemed contrived and oppressive. Perhaps it's me, and the fact that I am not entirely in love with Mother Russia at the moment, and that I am comparing this effort with some superb recent productions here in the UK. At least the Mariinsky have not yet been forced to abandon the use of English when instructing the audience to turn off mobile phones prior to curtain-up.

Bruce I love your use of language, though I barely understand a word of it ! Great to hear that Naghdi performed so well...

Looks like we have them ! Looking forward to his partnership with Akane Takada on the 28th...

Yes it's 4 DVD's - La Fille mal gardée with Acosta 2005, Swan Lake with Soares 2009, Don Quixote with Acosta 2013, and Giselle with Muntagirov 2016. Not bad value, I thought, for £29.99 (less any Friend's discount). And this supports my earlier point that the older leads that currently seem favoured for filming/DVDs, were also featured on many DVDs when they were much younger !

I had an email in March (as a Friend) saying "We will ensure that you are notified when the seat price information is visible on the website, which will be well in advance of tickets going on sale". Anyway they seem to have reverted back to the old layout soon after I pointed out the problem to them earlier today. Probably a total coincidence, but I am happy to take the credit... !

This may have been noted before, but the new screen that has the number of seats still available to book, in each area, is giving unnecessary additional confusion. It just leads to the old screen that did exactly the same thing - except generally there are less seats actually available, as shown on the old screen, than indicated on the new. It's pants, frankly ! I will report back if the ROH respond.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/dance/what-to-see/manon-royal-opera-house-review-francesca-hayward-steps-breach/amp/ Good review here - it is rather interesting in the light of some of the discussion on this thread how much dancers themselves love to perform Manon.

Yes, I took issue with parts of his review and commented there accordingly.....

Those principals you mention have been filmed already for quite a few years, when they were younger. And there are equally accomplished younger principals around now. I just think it would be good to capture their performances at this stage in their careers.

Indeed - she moves so beautifully, and her arms seem to have several more joints than us mere mortals!

So sorry Sim - hope you are better soon and I'm sure you will love their next performance.

Just out from a brilliant first night - superb staging, lovely costumes, poignant music, and fantastic dancers. Cannot think of many more superlatives for Francesca Hayward, and she was so well supported by Bonelli. I loved Alexander Campbell as Lescaut - he was so exuberant and also very amusing in the drunken dance scenes, along with Claire Calvert. Get tickets if you can !

It looks like the "dynamic" mapping tool is now making its premiere on the ROH website.

Actually "DARN Coyote" sounds better for the USA...

Lovely interview with her. Like other young RB dancers, she seems so well grounded and happy in her work!

Don K. O'Tay in Ireland, Donkey Oaty in Scotland, and Dawn Coyote in North America

Is this why the percussion section was screened off from the rest at the ROH when I last looked?

I thought they were fine too!

The cinema is great value, I think, although as previously mentioned the choice of casting is limited. Also the choice of close up shots is a matter of individual taste. Still, with this production virtually all the main RB leads were on show, and they all danced superbly, and the filming was really good quality. It felt like you were on stage with them at times. There seems to be a lot of love for Bernstein out there (it was good to see Humphrey Burton again, giving his personal, heartfelt insights into Bernstein) but I do struggle with most of his music. Much of it seems like a wandering series of notes and rhythms in search of a theme. Yugen, however, was lovely, perhaps because the music was a choral work, and because the dance was so well choreographed and performed. I particularly liked the force of nature that Tierney Heap became in the last piece! Also loved Sambe throwing Magri off stage left (or is it right ? - not sure) flying through the air. And some of the tableaus created when the dancers were grouped together were brilliant. I thought Ore Oduba hosted very well; he genuine appeared to be in his element.

Great photos, thanks. I have just grabbed a ticket, so looking forward very much to Opening Night tomorrow !

Except we can't be sure how long any of these younger principals will be fit, and available to the RB. Also the older leads that currently seem favoured for filming, were also featured on many DVDs when they were much younger ! So I am hoping for a wider selection for the 2018/19 season.....