Angela Essex

Tickets now returned to box office

Amphi B81 & 82 £34 each first dibs to @alisonas she advertised for tickets for this performance previously, if Alison doesn’t want them then they’ll be for sale.

I have B81 & B82 amphitheatre for sale £34 each so £68 in total I’m advertising them for sale on the forum but I’ll give you first option if you’d like them?

Yes there was a crying child (looked about 5 years old) in the central stalls circle too in the matinee. To be fair it’s a long time for a kid of that age to sit still if they’re not interested in watching dance so I felt sorry for the little girl being brought along.

On the subject of mobile phones - Someone’s phone started ringing in the central area of the stalls circle right in the middle of the dance of the sugar plum fairy in the matinee of Nutcracker on New Year’s eve. Officially a new low for audience behaviour at the ROH 😂 On the bright side at least it didn’t go off in the Arabian - that might have made me say a few colourful words. I felt sorry for Yuhui Choe though as I wondered if she could have heard it seeing as the auditorium was so quiet at the time.

Thank you - he was amazing 😍

Yes me too. Love Melissa Hamilton, she’s the most amazing dancer.

Yes the candle was quite wonky after Mr Whitehead picked it up - I was there with my kids who found it hilarious. Isabella Gasparini was beautiful to watch as Clara - so joyful, exuberant and happy in her dancing. Benjamin Ella did an amazing solo as Sugar Plum Prince and not sure who is was but there was one of the rose fairy escorts that really drew the eye (second from the left on my left of centre if anyone who was there today knows). Yuhui Choe and Leticia Dias beautiful sugar plum and rose fairies respectively. Superb performance by all to beautiful music from Orchestra conducted by J Lo. I always feel so lucky to be able to see the Royal Ballet and today was no exception. 2 out of 3 kids nonplussed by watching ballet so I will just be attending with my husband and son in future and will be leaving the others at home 🤣

Big thanks to @Simand all the other mods for this wonderful forum. Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and I wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2023!

Was there for the matinee today. Vadim and Sarah Lamb danced beautifully, especially considering the last minute change of partner for Ms Lamb. I feel mean in saying this but personally of the two Nutcracker’s I’ve seen thus far this year I preferred watching Fumi and Will though. Vadim and Sarah were wonderful today but for me lacked a certain spark and had an awkward moment in one of the lifts, but hardly surprising seeing as they had to partner one another at extremely short notice which must’ve been very stressful for both of them so to be fair I’m probably being harsh. I think the Arabian dance is my favourite part of the whole ballet - Melissa Hamilton is just stunning in it. I loved Clara today - she really embodied a young girl and danced so sweetly. On the audience behaviour front a LOT of very loud nose blowing in the stalls circle near D50 where I was. Also a shouting fight broke out in the cafe when one lady accused another of pushing in the queue - all very un-roh-like behaviour.

Yes she came in in trousers and a little body warmer with her hair down, did a tiny bit or barre then went into the door part of the castle of the sweets nutcracker set to take a phone call and I don’t think she came back after that 😭

The class on stage is listed in with the performances in the what’s on section of the roh website for booking. I booked mine as soon as the booking for the current season opened. I go on the roh website on the dot of 9am on the day booking opens and book everything I want to see in one go having planned out days, times and seats that I want in advance. Lots and lots of seats were sadly empty though.

Yes I thought I’d seen her - wished she’d done centre too though 😢

Oops how embarrassing - quite new to ballet here thank you for the correction 🤣 When I heard the lady taking the class say ‘lovely James’ I assumed it was James Hay as I must admit I couldn’t remember his face so assumed it was him. Thanks @art_enthusiast for letting me know the name of the dancer - James Large - he was stunning. Thanks also for letting me know the name of Marianna Tsembenhoi. She was amazing I was clapping and whooping loudly. I forgot to mention Marcelino. Sadly I couldn’t see him very well at the barre from where I was standing but watching him in class was dreamy.

I watched the Royal Ballet class on stage this morning which was amazing. I sat in B33 of the Donald Gordon Grand Tier which was a real treat as I’d never ordinarily afford to be able to sit there. The view was amazing, but oddly enough the dancers seemed further away than they do in a performance (when I usually sit in the rear balcony loose seats). It was so nice to see the dancers going about their daily lives before class, warming up, giggling and chatting with their colleagues on stage. Somehow it made them seem more real if that makes sense? The personalities of individual dancers really shone through whilst watching them in a less formal setting than in an actual performance. At one point Joonhyuk Jun got a round of applause and cheers for a spectacular ménage ditto James Hay and Joseph Sissens. Also one of the ladies (I must admit to not recognising her, possibly a member of the corps) did a LOT of fouettés to a round of applause. Gina Storm Jensen nearly ended up twirling off the stage at one point, running out of space to finish the combination in and then doing a funky little dance (not ballet) on her way off the stage. Itziar Medizibal was at the front centre of the barre and she was absolutely beautiful to watch. So musical and a lovely fluid quality of movement- not sure how to describe it, but the movement version of a really delicious honey. All in all £20 very well spent. I’d definitely go to watch class again. Finished off the day by doing the lovely Hannah Frosts class at Pineapple too which is always a pleasure.

Woo hooo!! Huge congratulations Viv! What a fantastic result.

Oops yes 21/12 🤦‍♀️

If some kind person has a ticket to sell that would be lovely. Thank you 🙏

Is this still available @Amanda Liuif so yes please.

Well done. Congratulations on a fabulous result. 🙌🙌🙌

I saw Olivia Cowley do it last year and she was mesmerising. Agree Melissa Hamilton was amazing.

Yes it did thank you so much. Wow wow wow Fumi Kaneko and William Bracewell were spectacular this evening as SPF and her Prince. Their pdd almost moved me to tears it was so beautiful. Wish I’d of been there in person but was watching the live cinema relay. Absolutely loved watching Melissa Hamilton in the Arabian dance too. On the bright side though the cinema relay showed Darcy Bussell interviewing Fumi & Will and they were so adorable saying how much they loved dancing together. Also they broadcast Darcy talking from behind the curtain after the curtain went down at the end with Kevin O’Hare in the background group hugging Will Bracewell, Mayara Magri, Bennet Gartside, Joseph Sissens and Sae Maeda and congratulating them on their performances which was lovely to see. Edited to say this is the 5th time I’ve seen Nutcracker in my life and for me Fumi and Will are the best SPF & Prince I’ve seen. (Even more so than Nela/Vadim and I didn’t think I could ever love watching anyone more than them) On the cinema relay you could see them exchanging little triumphant glances in their pdd once it became aparrent to them (and everyone in the house no doubt) that it was going spectacularly well) spine tingling stuff ❤️🙌💥

If some kind person that is there tonight would post a screenshot of the full cast for tonight that would be lovely. I’m watching the live cinema relay and the cast sheet we’ve been given only lists Kaneko, Bracewell, Gartside, Sae Maeda and Sissens and I can’t seem to access any cast lists on the roh website as it says server error 😭 I’d love to know who the other dancers are 🙏 Sae Maeda has been an absolutely beautiful Clara so far.

Done - voted for RB Nutcracker ❤️🩰🎄

Ticket now sold.