ellyb

2 hours ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

Thank you - in that case perhaps we should stop kicking it about as a possible reason. It can lead the discussion down dangerous paths IMO.

Sorry, that was my idle speculation; I certainly wasn't trying to lead anyone down any sort of 'dangerous paths', just wondering whether the current focus on loaning out the principals might have something to do with what seems like a bizarre decision to limit notice of casting when they must be aware many, many people book their performances based on casting information. It was immediately debunked as a plausible explanation but I have also asked my post to removed. I appreciate I shouldn't post anything without solid evidence, I'll refrain in future and leave it to others with more expertise. Apologies for the inconvenience. 

7 minutes ago, JennyTaylor said:

I am extremely dissatisfied with the lack of casting information prior to Friends' booking windows opening. This has happened several times (I think I am a Premium Friend 2) and certainly for the current Ashton programme, I ended up buying several tickets on the off chance and then sending some back.  However, that still means that that I parted with "real" money and received credits back.  Yes, I can offset that through future bookings and "save" money then, but that doesn't help immediate cash flow.  I upgraded my membership a couple of years ago specifically to ensure I could have my choice of tickets for my favourite partnerships.  I always buy for those first and then pick up others at a much later date through Returns if I want to see others.  I have complained a couple of times but to no avail.  I get the impression that there is difficulty behind the scenes to firm up casting so far in advance.  At current prices for the premium ballets such as Swan Lake buying tickets on the off chance, really is unaffordable. 

You're only getting some of it back in credit though, losing £4 a go is going to add up fast if you're having to buy for every performance and then return all the casts you don't want!

9 minutes ago, JNC said:

Is there a particular (new) challenge as to why they can’t announce casting in advance? 
 

I’m just trying to understand where and why this could be coming from, and why they had issues with the MacMillan and Ashton castings. 

Might it have something to do with the dancers' preferences? Possibly they don't want to be tied in early to performances at ROH as they might miss a good gala or guesting? It does feel a bit like the RB is now more keen on promoting a global brand by sending its stars overseas than it is on giving a good showing to the locals - presumably not only the dancers make a good income from guesting but so does the ROH; I assume (though don't know) that they charge a great deal to loan out their top artists...? Hope they're not going down this route though, I'll also be cancelling membership if there's no casting. 

Thank you so much for that @lady emily - I had to surrender my ticket at the last moment so very grateful I still get to see the send-off, even if I had to miss what I have no doubt was a wonderful performance. I take small comfort in knowing that had I been there I would have suffered with very sore hands and very red, swollen eyes! I do very much hope this isn't the last we see of him - he's a fabulous presenter so I'll be furious if he gives that up too! 

Very reluctantly having to relinquish my ticket for Friday, if anyone's still looking - have listed it on ticket exchange forum. 

Superb performance, very difficult to believe it was a debut - and very frustrating there was only one show which won't be repeated for three years. The whole cast was strong, Richardson was a wonderful Des Grieux; a slightly shaky start led to an absolutely heart-breaking finale and I can't wait to see how he develops. Hamilton is an absolutely phenomenal Manon, and I'm not sure anyone does Act III better. I do wish we could see more of her, and that she would get some classical principal roles - I would book her Odette in a heartbeat! Supporting cast also all extremely good, though unfortunately we had the same issue with the shorter Lescaut it didn't seem quite so noticeable as it has done previously. Hinkis brought personality to the Mistress and I felt Braendsrod has already improved enormously since his debut, he was very menacing. I must be in the minority in rather liking Christopher Saunders' GM, he's not as overtly gruesome as Avis' but I think he's all the more believable for that; he just seems to be a typical dirty rich old man, an awful everyman illustrating the fate of so many young women throughout history. I think that's something I take away from the best Manons, that she is just one of so very many - every woman that is at the brothel and who disembarks the ship has her own horror story of a man - or men - very like GM. Terrifying thought.

As it turns out, this was to be my final Manon this season and feel I've finished on a high. 

Stalls Circle B86

£79

10 minutes ago, lollylamb1 said:

Yes please - have PM’d

Have PM'd back

15 minutes ago, alison said:

Getting back to this run, I wonder if someone can explain the current Lescaut/Beggar Chief/GM interaction in the first scene?  Beggar Chief spots GM's watch hanging out of his pocket, steals it, and runs off and does a celebratory dance, ending up with him (usually!) being hoisted high by his fellow beggars and showing off the watch.  GM sooner or later notices the watch is missing, creates merry hell, and Lescaut persuades the annoyed BC to return the watch, says Wait a minute, and GM then tosses the BC a coin, so BC is happy.  Huh?!

 

Given GM's general sense of entitlement, mood and so on, surely he would want the BC hanged, drawn and quartered - or whatever the punishment at the time was - for theft, not reward him for returning his property.  So, surely Lescaut ought to be convincing the BC to return the watch and claim that he found it somewhere, at which point GM rewards him - a better outcome than being chucked in jail, surely?  But I don't see this happening these days.

I've always interpreted it as Lescaut working both worlds - Lescaut tells GM that the beggar found the watch and the beggar gets a coin and also doesn't need to worry about being found with the watch, and so Lescaut has gained the beggars' trust and possibly useful contacts in the criminal underworld. Lescaut has also helped GM and shown himself to be an upstanding citizen, which will help him gain GM's trust and further his ambitions to move within the upper echelons of society. Not sure if I'm right though!

Row J, Seat 43 | Amphitheatre (end of row)

£25

Maybe not so surprising as I feel he has been very underused recently, but sad all the same... I very much wish I'd seen his Romeo. Extremely fortunate to still have a ticket for the 8th; I've already seen this pair before and had booked for Takada so planned to cancel but hadn't gotten round to it, now going to try and rearrange diary so I can keep it! They were very good when I saw them, though that was just rehearsal - I thought he made an absolutely superb Des Grieux so pleased he gets to go out on such a wonderful role.  

Agree about the Arabian dance; with the three men it looks like the woman is in control and the men are her servants whereas I feel that the pas de deux looks more like the man is displaying or offering the woman, pushing her forward to gyrate for the audience ... which I personally find rather less appropriate, though it might just be me! 

Upper Circle A 17 

£67.25

Aw, I know I'll be in the minority but I'm a bit sad about that if it's true! Might it mean they're intending a revamp, this production is getting on a bit so might this be the last time we see it? It seems a bit of an odd financial decision as I believe it's the one production across both ballet and opera that is guaranteed to completely sell out, and at top dollar prices? If they're needing to keep prices so high as they are struggling, is it really sensible to get rid of their most profitable show?

14 hours ago, DoctorDerry said:

So glad to hear others were able to enjoy a largely incident free broadcast. We went to Cineworld in High Wycombe for the first time but never again!

we were told on entry that the picture was not ‘ quite right’ and we could have a refund. Having driven a long way we thought we would try it 😂😂😠

Not quite right was hardly the description. The picture was elongated and squashed. Very like those mirrors you have in fun fairs making you look short and fat. Darcy B was as wide as she was high😠

We lasted 10 minutes then opted for a refund

Avoid this cinema at all costs for live relays

My mother and I used to go regularly to High Wycombe and never had any problems, I don't blame you for being put off but it's really not always like that! 

***Sorry, ignore this - just realised we used to go to Empire at the top of the hill and Cineworld's the one in town, of which I have no experience whatsoever!*** 

24 minutes ago, Linnzi5 said:

Mukhamedov I have never seen at all, so this needs investigating!

Very definitely second the Mayerling recommendation, it's why I fell in love with that ballet. Also the phenomenal Viviana Durante ... while we're all lamenting those dancers we didn't see live, those two absolutely top my list. 

Mayerling: The Royal Ballet (Kenneth Macmillan) [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Barry Wordsworth, Derek Bailey, Irek Mukhamedov, Viviana Durante, Darcey Bussell, Lesley Collier, Jane Burn, Derek Rencher, Nicola Tranah, The Royal Ballet: DVD & Blu-ray

6 minutes ago, Linnzi5 said:

Yes. I agree with what you say here. It's the 'sizzle' that was missing from Mercedes. Buvoli is a lovely dancer - I have been so impressed with her and it could be that I just thought she didn't fit with how I like Mercedes?

 

Oh, the cloak! Yes. Definitely some issues with that - it looks pretty hard to navigate but I have to say that Hirano, Dixon and Richardson were great with it. No. I'd agree that they didn't settle.

 

Yes! The matadors were a bit messy - that sums it up perfectly. Up to last night, I think they've been fantastic. Maybe just an off night?  

 

Richardson was so funny. I can't decide whether I like him or Hay best - Hay was amazing (those eyes) but Richardson's walk made me giggle so much! So, I'll call it a tie! 

 

I have to say, I wasn't feeling great last night and am not today either. I have Dante this evening (I hope I like it more than I did last time. I'm hoping it's a 'grower'!) though I am primarily going to see William Bracewell. I really hope I'm up to it!  

I do hope you feel better, it's pretty soul-destroying having to walk out early. I'm not doing Dante as a bit contemporary for me - plus all my money's gone on a record 5 Manons, including Mr Richardson... I certainly hope I can forget the walk before then!

11 minutes ago, Linnzi5 said:

I have seen Osipova in Swan Lake and Nutcracker some years ago and liked her in both and I loved her Giselle. However, in recent years, I have not enjoyed her interpretations as much as before. In fact, I have found some of her dancing ungainly and not what I'm looking for. For example, her Dying Swan. I actually disliked her interpretation of that, which surprised me. I think you are right. My impression is that she pushes boundaries. Contemporary dance is not what I love best, though I really have loved some works I have seen. 

 

There was one bit of pointe work from Osipova last night, where she had her foot at a really strange angle that had me quite worried - I thought she had hurt herself but later she seemed ok. However, I did enjoy seeing her and her joy - she looked like she was having such fun. Her Kitri was coquettish and the humour was turned up a notch (though not always to my taste, I admit) and I wonder if this is deliberate because she has injuries or is limited because of something physical, so she attacked the role from a different perspective? I still enjoyed her fouettés - yes, they were't like she used to do, but they were still impressive, I thought. I could see she has a lot of trust in Reece Clarke - sometimes she just threw herself at him! He is a big, strong man, so was well placed to catch her. They have a nice partnership, I think. I did like Clarke. I thought he was technically good and confident. He was cheeky and fun - a bit of a 'Jack-the-lad' type of character but sweet alongside that. He just lifts Osipova with such ease. I didn't realise how long his legs are though! I noticed he had to adjust his stance when partnering because of his height and I thought he did that well. 

 

Now. The audience were just perfect from the stalls last night, in my opinion. Clapping in the right places, a few very loud 'bravos' - always from older men with really, really loud, deep voices, always sitting right behind me - I don't mind that but it does make my ears hurt! They could shatter concrete! 🤣 But, the clapping and cheers were well-timed and appropriate, I thought and I was surprised that, at times, there wasn't more. I am glad though. I felt the Nunez/Muntagirov response was too OTT for my taste and was distracting for me. I do like the audience to show appreciation but not constantly and loudly in places where it's disruptive to the flow of the music, particularly. 

 

Otherwise - the good points. Richardson - loved him. So funny and brilliant characterisation. I thought Avis was on top form as was Whitehead. Loved Ikarashi! I think his Panza is brilliant. Kitri's friends were excellent, I thought. Dias and Mariko Sasaki really are excellent dancers and worked well together. Sumina Sasaki, I felt, did a great job with the Dryad Queen. She was confident and elegant and is so young. She is one to watch, I think. Amour, Ashley Dean, was lovely! 

 

The things that fell a bit flat for me: Anette Buvoli. I think she is such a lovely dancer (her Dryad Queen was so elegant, assured and lovely, as she has been in other roles I have seen her in) but I did not feel she quite captured the spirit and fire that I feel Mercedes needs. I did not feel her character shining through. I also didn't feel she was confident last night though she was still elegant when dancing. I can say the same for Braendsrod though I felt he did look the part -  he had a stage presence and certainly had the swagger! At times, I felt he wasn't confident though and that broke the spell for me on a couple of occasions. I don't think he compares technically to Richardson, Dixon or my favourite, Hirano. I felt the matadors, on a few occasions,  weren't as slick as I've seen in previous performances. It's difficult not to compare when you have seen really exciting, touching, emotive or technically excellent performances recently.

 

In summary, I am glad I went. I enjoyed myself and was pleased I got to see the cast. I did not think it was one of the better performances I have seen, but some aspects were really enjoyable. I was pleased to see Clarke and Osipova  

I really didn't like her Dying Swan! I wonder if it's just the evolution of her artistry though; she was known for pushing boundaries to great effect and she's still doing that, maybe it's just gone a bit too far? I did like her Mary Vetsera though, and I believe she has the cinema showing of Manon so am looking forward to that.

I think I agree with all your other assessments as well, of those I saw; I was looking forward to seeing what Buvoli would do with Mercedes after her wonderful Dryad Queen but she didn't really 'sizzle' as much as she might. It is a very different role though of course, it may just not suit her. I was very conscious of Braendsrod's cloak which he seemed to find a bit distracting. I think that made him look a bit awkward, which is not what you want from Espada! I was wondering if they both settled into the roles a bit more as the night progressed, but seemingly not. Also agree about the matadors, they were a bit messy and didn't always seem to be totally in sync. More positively though, I really really loved Richardson and am disappointed I didn't get to see him to the end - that walk!

I am glad I went as I would be kicking myself if I hadn't taken the opportunity to see Osipova in her 'signature role', I only wish I'd seen all of it.

Unfortunately I was not feeling well so had to leave after Act I. From what I saw I would have to agree that the technique was a little sloppy at times. I do confess I've never really 'gotten' Osipova. This may be because I never saw her in her heyday or it may be I just don't appreciate her style. I've been to a few performances now over the past few years from Sleeping Beauty to Romeo & Juliet and haven't really understood the hype, and this isn't the first performance that I've been surprised by her seeming lack of technique; I just assumed that it was intentional and she is choosing to push the boundaries of classism, I'm not a fan of contemporary dance and do feel her style is really pretty contemporary, even in the classics. Or maybe she's focussing so much on achieving the fireworks of yesteryear that she's letting the basics slide. 

It seemed a lot quieter than for Nunez too, though I was in a different part of the house so maybe it's just that the stalls are noisier than the amphitheatre? The crowd did certainly roar after the Kitri solo though! I am sort of glad, I was hoping the reaction to Nunez/Muntagirov was just a response to them in particular rather than the new done thing.

PS Has anyone else noticed how much nicer the downstairs loos are than the up? Seems a bit wrong somehow, like the peasants in the gods don't deserve automatic taps and hand soap! 

Double debut of Lukas Braendsrod and Annette Buvoli as Espada and Mercedes. Excited for this one, loved Buvoli's Queen of the Dryads - luckily, I should catch them on their next go. 

Another one at a Nunez/Muntagirov performance and I was surprised at the audience response, but rather liked it and it seemed to add extra excitement to the occasion. I am not a whooper at all but it did seem appropriate on that particular night, and I assumed it was just because it was those two in that ballet - of all ballets I think this is the one most acceptable to go a bit wild! It's the only one I've attended so far, I also have Osipova which I also expect to be noisy. I don't mind people applauding fouettes etc in a coda when there are real fireworks but I wouldn't want it to become the norm for any performance, and I'd actually probably limit that to just Don Quixote, Swan Lake and possibly Nutcracker. I won't be so charmed if it happens in Manon! 

Just noticed Swan Lake pricing - £118 to sit on a bench?! £175 top price... I know it's Swan Lake but this seems absurd surely, how can it be higher than Nutcracker? 

1 hour ago, Lynette H said:

But surely the King has already visited the ROH this year ? It can't be his first visit as KIng. He was there in the Royal Box with his wife at a performance of Sleeping Beauty earlier this year in spring. I was there and remember seeing them. There was no fuss or announcement. Nothing was made of it. 

They visit 'privately' in the sense it's not official and so not announced anywhere, they are ballet fans and so choose to visit on their own time and (when I've seen them) try to keep a low-profile, only sitting in view once they lights dim. This occasion will presumably be an official visit where his presence will be announced, the anthem sung, people will applaud and he'll wave etc. 

Maybe he's decided to sit in the Grand Tier so he can actually see something, when I've seen him on a private visit he's in the Royal Box which I believes offers a pretty poor view of the stage. 

Edited to ask if anyone knows whether he was consigned to the Royal Box before he was king? I know other royals have just gone Grand Tier when on private visits but I'm not sure if he did, I don't know if part of gaining the crown means having to sit in the box - he must be a bit annoyed if so!

17 hours ago, art_enthusiast said:

 

Praying to all the ballet gods that it might be Melissa Hamilton! (Slim chance I know.)

Or if not, Annette Buvoli? As she's doing the SPF with him in January.

Would definitely book Hamilton, she's woefully underused at RB for some reason.