Emeralds

I agree anything flashing in a theatre is inappropriate. I think I'm the only person to point this out repeatedly, but wearers of Fitbits and other wrist items that flash when the arm moves must turn them off in a theatre performance- if that means a lot of hassle turning them back on, put it in a pocket or bag during the show. It's extremely disruptive to have them flashing in fellow audience members' faces every time they clap, scratch their nose or whatever. Not to mention the potential danger to dancers spotting their pirouettes and fouettes. Brandon Lawrence, principal dancer at BRB and now Zurich Ballet, has also spoken out against devices like these flashing in a darkened auditorium.

Thank you @LinMM. Just saw it a bit earlier on Facebook. This has come out of the blue! I put it on under News in case anyone knows more. Too short notice and unfortunately on a rail strike day- I'd have arranged to get there somehow if I'd known at least 2 weeks ago.

No plans announced, sadly. I haven't checked Fernando's own social media yet though- quite a shock!

Sad that ENB loses this popular and talented soloist- and on the day of a train strike (sadly I can't go)! Very, very short notice and quite a shock really. He is dancing Don Jose in his last show with ENB tonight. From English National Ballet's social media (couldn't find anything else on theur website)..... "Tonight we say goodbye to Soloist Fernando Carratalá Coloma, who will give his last performance with us in Johan Inger’s Carmen at Sadler’s Wells. Since joining the company in 2017, Fernando has shone in many productions, including Mats Ek’s The Rite of Spring, William Forsythe’s Playlist (EP), Kenneth MacMillan’s Song of the Earth, Tamara Rojo’s Raymonda and more. Please join us in wishing Fernando the very best in the next chapter of his dancing career!"

Thanks, @Bluebird- this was actually for two performances which the tickets were returned at least 3 days in advance. I suppose the box office employee each time was quick to jump on my suggestion of "exchange or credit voucher" and immediately suggested I do an exchange and ignored the question about the credit voucher. But anyway, it's now published in black and white on their website so no fudging to patrons. Thank you for your information! 👍

Sorry about my typo above: it should ready SWT (Sadler's Wells Theatre) and not SAT. I was always told (even last year) by the box office staff that there was no credit voucher system like the one at ROH - maybe things have changed now. (The website today does confirm they can offer a voucher certificate.)

SAT'S official policy is no refunds and any exchanges must be at least 24 hours' notice and also incurs a fee per ticket, unless you exchange for a more expensive ticket, paying the difference. Very very rarely they have agreed to attempt a refund when the whole run is sold out and it's more than 24 hours' notice (as there's obviously nothing you can exchange for); the booking fee and building levy are not refunded in that situation. If the ticket doesn't resell they will not refund you. (So your rhetorical - I presume! - question is correct, @Rob S). It's currently far from sold out.

Maybe In Paradisum works better with a real pipe organ at the back of a hall (like the ones at Albert Hall, Festival Hall, Barbican etc)? Like @Linnzi5 I too like Pie Jesu sung by a treble although Isabela Díaz did well too (MacMillan's ballet always has a soprano instead. I did consider switching to 9 April on the off chance of having Lauren Cuthbertson instead but the train travel looked like it might be worse next week with everyone back from Easter holidays and potentially worse congestion due to the ASLEF overtime ban. Plus there's no guarantee that Cuthbertson wouldn't be replaced again. I hope next time Yasmine Naghdi will be lead ballerina in one of the casts of Danses Concertantes - the ballet looks so right for her. Also James Hay. I agree -Lamb and Hamilton were gloriously perfect both times in Requiem, with 2 wonderful sets of partners in each cast. The Drum Major's mace is probably both I guess- one to show he is a drum major amd two, the obvious hint/suggestion of a phallic symbol (but without making it too obvious). Had forgotten how many jumps and difficult tricks with the mace he actually has to do! Not as much emotional acting as the role of Woyzeck but difficult in other ways. Very impressed with Serrano's performance!

Hope all is ok with Alina- wishing her well. (Got slightly confused by these posts as didn't realise at first that there were two parallel discussions about this on 2 threads!) I'm very happy with my replacement cast and glad that Max Maslen will still have one performance, with Miki Mizutani

For the ASLEF overtime ban yesterday on 4 April, Thameslink and other companies ran an amended timetable with about fewer trains than usual on my route. I ended up having to get a taxi to ROH from the train station so as not to risk being late for Danses Concertantes if the Tube trains (which I don't normally take) were too full or delayed, or the lifts were too congested. I didn't get stranded as the amended timetable meant I had enough trains to connect for the journey home, and there were no random unexpected cancellations. Phew! Fingers crossed it all works out well for everyone travelling for other RB, ENB, NB, SB, ENBS etc performances today till and including 9 April.

Thanks for the update Peanut68. I'm not an Instagram or X/twitter user although I can see the public posts on an online search.There's no mention of the BRB cancellation on her public Instagram posts, but she still has her post about her Taiwan appearances on 4 and 5 May up on Instagram. Hence I assume everything after April is currently OK to go ahead, unless she simply hasn't gotten around to announcing other cancellations. It looks hopeful for now that she will appear with LCB. Yes, she only had 2 dates with BRB.

Depends on how much you end up liking the cast, FionaM 🙂 One week gives you enough time to decide and exchange the Sadler's Wells ticket as long as you decide very soon after watching the Bristol performance. The other option is, if you are free on a different date and there are good tickets left, maybe changing the Bristol performance to see another cast- which is easier?

So basically it's now: Miki Mizutani and Max Maslen covering Thursday night Yu Kurihara and Lachlan Monaghan covering Saturday night. I am happy with the new casting- it works out well with the other cast I bought tickets for, and no repeats. Oh I do hope everything is OK with Alina and it's nothing terrible. The company announcement sounds like it's serious matters but not injury and illness. Hope all is well for her and her family. From what I remember of it (and my VHS recording of the production till it got worn out!) the Prince does get a good amount of dancing - similar to the RB production, @Dawnstar. Don't suppose you are able to take in two performances? I think you might like this version. Sadler's Wells needs advance notice to exchange dates - more than 24hours, plus an exchange fee (they will waive the fee if you exchange with -and pay the excess for- a pricier ticket though).

Just to add that you don't have to find work as a dancer if you train in dance or as an actor if you train in drama, for example. Many graduates in these subjects have self discipline, versatility and ongoing enthusiasm for learning new things, which makes them better employees and better potential leaders because of these skills which they honed as students of the performing arts. I've seen so many former dancers and actors prove themselves repeatedly in a whole variety of non-arts jobs and careers while graduates from humanities, business and science courses falter because many of the latter have always been told "just get good grades and opportunities will be handed to you on a plate". The hardest part may be convincing an employer to give you the first job to prove yourself, but nowadays that's the same for all new graduates. This is a narrow minded and erroneous decision from the government.

Sorry to bring part 2 of the review for last night's performance (4 April) a bit belatedly- was busy checking train updates about the overtime ban at the second interval, then had to rush to get home afterwards in case we got stranded! Different Drummer- we were at last night's performance principally to see the cast of Hayward and Sambe for Different Drummer, as the cast changes meant we'd actually seen many of the same cast for Danses Concertantes and Requiem already. Did consider returning tickets when the rail industrial action was announced but as DD might not be programmed again for ages, we just had to go as Hayward wasn't scheduled to dance Marie after the industrial action ends). Francesca Hayward, Marcelino Sambe and Francisco Serrano certainly triumphed as Marie, Woyzeck and Drum Major. Hayward has many of the same qualities that Ferri had as Marie. When she makes her entrance, they both had that same sashaying walk that tells you something about the character- for me, it was "uh oh, this girl is not going to be the supportive wife or the tower of strength for poor Woyzeck- she will also cause him grief". Hayward has that way of inhabiting the character- whether Juliet or Manon or Marie - that she no longer appears to act but every glance, pause or step IS the character. Marcelino Sambe brings his abilities as a virtuoso to the steps that MacMillan gave Woyzeck- the tragedy is heightened when this exploited, mistreated and cuckolded soldier dances with such eloquent grace. Sambe really highlights the grief, anguish and suffering that Woyzeck feels. At this point I want to mention Reece Clarke's portrayal from last week as I didn't have the space then to comment more. A very different portrayal to those of Sambe and Stephen Jefferies (the only other Woyzeck I've seen), Clarke highlights how painful the Doctor's experiments are and how gruelling the training by the Captain are, as well as the bullying from the two of them and the Drum Major are (helped by Gary Avis's excellent portrayal of the relentless, shouting Captain), with a stark, powerful portrayal of his descent into psychosis. With Sambe's portrayal you get more of a sense of Woyzeck's increasing anguish and distress tipping him over the edge to kill. They are both powerful performances but I found it easier to appreciate Clarke's interpretation after seeing a different one from Sambe. But the real surprise of the evening was Francisco Serrano's portrayal of Drum Major. A sympathetic Andres in the Clarke/Osipova cast, he really comes into his own as Drum Major here. The first Drum Major I've seen not to drop the Drum Major's mace accidentally (I was beginning to get a bit worried that I might be jinxing every Drum Major I see!) he not only is a dab hand (pun unintended) at the twirling but also the one-handed cartwheels, the leaps, the skilful partnering in his seduction of Marie- outstanding. Not at all overwhelmed by dancing opposite two principals, Serrano completely smashes it - he is convincing as the confident, arrogant and attractive Drum Major, and you can see why Hayward's Marie would be beguiled by him. Wowzer- I think we have a new soloist here! Thomas Whitehead (Captain) , Kevin Emerton (Doctor), Benjamin Ella (excellent as Woyzeck’s concernrd friend and fellow soldier Andres) and the rest of the cast provided brilliant support. The ballet has its shocking moments (as dictated by the plot) and some uneven moments- interspersed with unexpected, even jarring, moments of beauty: the score is sometimes too beautiful (especially when combined with the beautiful jetes and elegantly performed slides to the floor of the soldiers) but perhaps this is part of MacMillan's intention- to make us question, discuss and be unsettled by the cruelty and exploitation in the world going on alongside the beauty. We loved Requiem last week and it was a joy to see Sarah Lamb and Melissa Hamilton back, compelling as ever in the same roles with William Bracewell (Offertoire), Lukas B Brændsrød' (Sanctus) and Joseph Sissens (Libera Me) taking over from Ball, Hirano and Acri from last week. Kudos to Lamb and her partners Bracewell and Brændsrød for being able to present two gorgeous and moving pas de deux with limited rehearsal time when Lamb was called upon to replace Lauren Cuthbertson at short notice. Moving performances from Bracewell, Brændsrød and Sissens- so different from Ball, Hirano and Acri, yet so beautiful as well. The quartet of Zucchetti, Dixon, Dubreuil and Donnelly were once again stellar in the lifts and partnering in the Agnus Dei and other sections. Isabela Díaz and Josef Jeongmeen Ahn, the RO Chorus and the ROH Orchestra were magnificent once again in the performance of Fauré's stunning Requiem. The Royal Ballet in MacMillan's Requiem is soulful and stunning beauty this season- all credit to the dancers, singers, musicians and their stagers and coaches. I note that we have no recordings of the three ballets on DVD and Danses Concertantes and Different Drummer (possibly Requiem also) have never been on a cinema relay. All those who have tickets to the cinema relay or ROH performance next week (whether you decide to see or skip DD), or the Sat 13th April performance, are in for a special treat.

I think @Geoff meant that the advisory should say "some content is unsuitable for audiences under 16" or "some content only suitable for age 16+". The wording for this triple bill wasn't up to their usual standard.

Dawnstar is our expert on the stalls circle bench seats 😊

I'm really hoping that James will be in Danses Concertantes next time round - either the solo man in yellow or the pas de trois man: both roles are so suited to his strengths. Also, the Libera Me role in Requiem. I wonder if James will be back as the doctor on 9th or 13th? Linnzi5, I haven't been able to find any books or interviews with Nicholas Georgiadis discussing the 1955 DC costumes (it doesn't mean there aren't any in existence- I just haven't found any) but watching it closely tonight, I think if the gold decoration is taken off, it makes the men's heads look like they blend into the set quite often, because the set has dark/black parts... which would look strange. If they take the black headpiece off completely, because the costume is quite streamlined, it has the effect of making their hair look messy especially next to the women. I'm guessing that the 3D arrow-like gold decoration was to match the arrows on their leotards. Actually, as the ballet progresses they actually blend in and look much nicer. They just aren't photogenic in pictures or when the wearer is standing still though! I agree, jury is still out.

Another delightful performance of Danses Concertantes so far- Marco Masciari and Liam Boswell virtually unrecognisable under the headpieces but excellent in their dancing and partnering, and it also took me a while to recognise Ashley Dean with her hair hidden under the black headpiece! The six ladies of the ensemble- Katsura, Lubach, Mullova-Barley, Nikelski, Roscoe, Tonkinson once again stellar in their unison and beautiful lines, while still dancing with musicality and wit. Taisuke Nakao revelling in the humour of his role, with some fine jumps. The pas de trois with Zucchetti, Maeda and Dean danced with so much wit, charm and virtuosity, but never overdoing it- bliss! Maeda has grown in confidence and polish since her last performance. Couldn't help feeling that maybe Zucchetti and Rovero might be a better fit if they swapped roles. Gasparini a delightful lead ballerina again. The music is gorgeous - beautifully played by the ROH Orchestra under the baton of Koen Kessels. Such a lovely ballet! Can we have it back in 2026?? (Back to the show...)

Great pictures (and jumps)! Alvin Ailey choreographed Pas de Duke, Vadim choreographed Pas de Duck. 😄 Very cute!

Sylvia last staged in Nov-Dec 2017 so you're right, @jmhopton. I agree it should be filmed again (preferably with Nunez in the lead role). Thank you for writing in to ask. I guessed no Fille from RB this season because of BRB dancing it at Sadler's Wells (I think even if one company is only doing 2 or 3 performances of a ballet in London the other RB company tries not to do the same ballet in the same season - the only exception being Nutcracker at Royal Albert Hall as there seems to be no shortage of people buying up all the Nutcracker tickets at Christmas in London. And the two Nutcrackers are very different productions even if both staged by Peter Wright!) If Kevin could bring Fille back for 2025-26 that would be ace. Hope all our members and readers are able to make it to London for the RB Ashton ballets since there won't be any streaming/cinema relay/etc. Fingers crossed no industrial action nor travel disruption too.

It feels a bit slapdash- the system of caat sheet on the walls and QR codes or website cast lists has been going on for over a year. Surely they could invest in a few inexpensive boards (like what ROH has) to slip a new sheet into at every performance. I wonder if the afternoon shift forgot to print them out. If they had a board or stand at every level then it would prompt the front of house staff to remember to get them printed off. Even just one cast list on one board on the ground floor is better than not having any,if they can't afford three.

I liked the Georgiadis costumes but didn't like the headpieces for the men. The women's costumes and headpieces were great. Unfortunately I don't think the men's headpieces can be discarded or altered now that Mr Georgiadis is no longer with us to ask his permission (or ask him to redesign them). I don’t know if the designs are the reason why Danses Concertantes is so seldom performed....I can't see any other reason why it isn’t staged more frequently. It has such beautiful choreography.

Ah, I guessed it probably wasn't, @Scheherezade- this seems to be a showcase for young newly graduated singers and other performers. I found a bit of information on Scherzo Ensemble's FB page, @alison - they have now listed the dancers taking part as well as the vocal soloists. Still no mention of the type of dance, but am guessing from the post it isn't classical ballet. Could be contemporary, jazz dance, street, folk or a fusion of a few or all of the above? Looks like an enjoyable event for those who are interested in unusual presentations of familiar pieces like The Creation, or those with young family members training in music, singing or dance. Here's the text of their post: "In our unique production of Haydn’s Creation, each of the archangels, as well as Adam and Eve, is represented by a dancer. Allow us to introduce our dancers! Abbie Thompson Elliot Minogue-Stone Malachi Briant Mercedes Prevatt Riz Golden "

They are highly unlikely to switch the running order of the 3 ballets - I've never seen that happen for mixed bills at ROH - but very very rarely, a middle ballet has had to be cancelled if there is some unforeseen situation they can't fix. They can present a ballet with no set or modify/improvise a prop or costume or replace a dancer so those won't be the issue. Once a McGregor ballet (Tetractys- the Art of Fugue) had to be cancelled because Natalia Osipova had sustained a concussion while rehearsing. But they had advance notice of that before the day of the show. If someone (eg the conductor or a lead dancer) falls ill or gets an injury, they delay the start to get someone else to replace them rather than switching the running order. So I would say it's 99.5% OK to go off for dinner but probably cannot say 100%:for certain! I did once sit out a middle ballet with small relatives for the same reason as you, but we ate in the opera house so we could hear all the announcements (eg "The ballet X will start in 5 minutes', "Please take your seats, X is about to begin") so I was aware of any changes no matter how unlikely. Also, do allocate plenty of time to return and get to your seats.