MJW

Sort of relevant to the discussions - received this message earlier today - We look forward to opening booking tomorrow morning for Autumn Season rehearsals, allowing you to book additional tickets up to the maximum of four tickets per Friend across the Autumn Season. We’re aware that some Friends have experienced issues with buying tickets online in this priority booking period; we are sorry for the inconvenience caused and are working to resolve the issue. To give yourself the best chance of buying tickets quickly, Friends are advised to avoid refreshing the rehearsals page or attempting to buy tickets before booking opens at 9am. Simply go to the website after 9am, ensuring you are logged into your account, and then click the buy buttons without refreshing. You'll then be taken to select your seats as usual. We hope you enjoy our wonderful Autumn Season at the Royal Opera House and look forward to welcoming you here very soon.

Sorry ! Should have looked more closely before posting...

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lilian-hochhauser-to-think-i-knew-shostakovich-fcj8mvf98 People might find this quite interesting - it can be read without a subscription.

I see that everyone else had problems this morning booking rehearsals and it wasn't down to my employer's website! After refreshing the rehearsals page after 9am to book, everything disappeared. After 5 mins of frantic refreshing I was eventually able to get in the queue only for it to "pause" for about 15mins. Thankfully I was able to get a good seat in the Balcony for Sleeping Beauty (which came as a surprise as I thought Friends rehearsals were limited to the amphitheatre. Obviously not).

Well just got back home and thank you to those who said I ought to go as that was thoroughly enjoyable! Very impressive performances all round and nice to see pieces I haven't seen before. I recognised some of the dancers from the Cunning Little Vixen earlier in the year and it will be nice to follow the careers of those joining the RB next season as Aud Jebsen dancers. I am sure there were many very proud parents, grandparents and other family members today/

Given the comments earlier about booking problems, I was a bit worried about being able to book this morning when Friends Booking opened (especially as I had to book at work on my employer's slower system) but thankfully it was fine. Just need a mortgage to cover the cost!

Just had this confirmation from RoH PART 1 13:30 – 14:38 1 HOUR 06 MINUTES INTERVAL 14:38 – 15:03 25 MINUTES PART 2 15:03 – 16:12 1 HOUR 09 MINUTES CURTAIN CALLS 16:12 – 16:17 5 MINUTES TOTAL RUNNING TIME = 2 HOURS 47 MINUTES

Silly question but the website is no help - does anyone know the running time for Sunday?

Couldn't agree more; it was a last minute decision to go and see this live and I was so glad I did !

I had a bit of a panic as well !

What interesting lists everyone has! I've only been going to the ballet over the last few years so what I have seen thus far is somewhat limited (34 so far) but I would be very happy to see these most (if not every) year Two Pigeons Within the Golden Hour Symphonic Variations Les Patineurs

Sounds fantastic and so lovely to hear of such enthusiasm from the audiences in Japan - will the RB expect the same when they return to London? !

Until the DVD arrives - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zXfYygXX0I

Thinking back over the season, I'm a bit worried that I am becoming a bit obsessive about ballet but since that is better than being on drugs or speeding cars, I shan't worry too much! Highlights The Two Pigeons (I saw this ages ago on Sky Arts and loved it, so was so pleased it was being performed this year - in the end I saw it three times - at the general rehearsal, with Alexander Campbell and Yuhui Choe and then with Yasmine Naghdi and James Hay and loved it - I now have the music on my Ipod!) Within the Golden Hour, which I hadn't planned to see but decided to go to the mixed bill and was so pleased as I did as I thought this was fantastic and taught me to be a bit more open minded about modern works. Flight Pattern - didn't think I would like this but was overwhelmed. Lowlights Winter Dreams (loved Les Patineurs and the Concert though) R&J at Covent Garden (but loved the cinema version with Matthew Ball and Yasmine Naghdi). It may not have helped that when I saw it live the woman sitting next to me kept fidgeting and sighing throughout!)

Many thanks for your comments - I've booked !