Jump to content

jmhopton

Members
  • Posts

    1,604
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by jmhopton

  1. 3 hours ago, Bruce Wall said:

    I simply drop this note asking: Wasn't there a previous marketing effort by a third party agency hired by the ROH management which - in its infinite wisdom - appeared to want to do away with so-called 'regulars'?  I seem to recall that there was.  From what I'm reading, this current survey appears to simply be a further 'wish fulfilment' of their previous efforts.  These actions I believe can and will speak for themselves. 

     

     

    Yes, there was Bruce. I remember as that's what caused me to write my first rather angry letter to Alex Beard on the subject of not taking your regular audience for granted as they are the ones who will turn up for several casts as often as they can afford it. These days thst is getting more difficult. I think the person who ran it left after all the bad feelings it created though I'm not sure about that.

    • Like 3
    • Thanks 1
  2. Have only had a very cursory glance at small bits of the gala but the thing that leapt out at me was how better Francesca Hayward looked in the Dream pas de deux without that awful strawberry blond wig. To me it's a distraction from the beautiful choreography and dancing as it just doesn't look right when the majority of dancers have dark hair.  It looked strange on Takada in the last recording. Did Ashton insist on it? Could it not be retired? Francesca looked just as fairylike and far more natural without it.

    • Like 4
  3. 4 hours ago, bridiem said:

     

    I haven't received this survey (yet?) but it's this sort of thing that worries me; I always suspect that they will find a way of interpreting the answers to give them 'permission' to do things/set prices that the respondent/s would in no way approve of, just because of the way in which the questions have been asked. In my experience surveys are generally designed in order to elicit the responses that an organisation wants, or to only offer a range of equally unpalatable alternatives. 

     

    Yes, takes me back to an old episode of Yes Prime Minister where Sir Humphrey 'surveyed' Bernard and elicited 2 opposite answers just by phrasing the questions differently.

    • Like 7
  4. Another email from Avanti saying it's 'Time to get back on track'!!! and thanking me for having 'stuck with us'. ( I  haven't, I've been booking coaches), and saying their new timetable is out. This is presumably the timetable with no Lancaster to Wigan services on the 4 weekends I mentioned above. They're completely shameless. If their franchise is extended in April I will certainly be writing to the government minister concerned.

    • Like 1
  5. Well I filled in the BBC comments form. Even with the link it seems to take ages to get anywhere that you can actually leave a comment. There were several headings to choose from. I think I selected the first, 'Positive feedback about a programme' or something similar. This is what I said.

     

    Birmingham Royal Ballet Don Quixote

    I've just had my feedback letter on this splendid production published in the Radio Times. It was so great to have classical ballet on TV I couldn't understand why it wasn't shown at Christmas. It was certainly far superior to any programmes that were shown. Too often ballet (and opera) enthusiasts feel ignored on mainstream tv and would be terrific to have more of both then I wouldn't feel I was buying my TV licence in vain. Also, it is a great way of introducing ballet to a new audience. Many people may never think of going to a ballet or opera and think perhaps it's not for them but I'm sure many who caught even a glimpse of this amazing, colourful, humorous ballet may rethink their ideas of ballet as being all about swans! Please may we have more ballet evenings. The docu/drama about Margot Fonteyn that followed Don Q was also very interesting. I do worry we may have even fewer evenings like this if BBC4 is phased out and goes online. I get the Radio Times delivered every week and BBC4 is one of only 3 channels I check every day to see what it's showing. The BBC has a huge archive and there was talk at one time of it being digitised and content made available. That is something I would be interested in as the BBC used to show a huge amount of ballet in the 1950s and 60s; far more than it does now. I know a lot of it might not have survived but I would love to see, for example, Margot Fonteyn's series The Magic of Dance. One episode was shown in a dance evening about 10 years ago so hopefully the series survived. Also, looking to the future it would be wonderful if Birmingham Royal Ballet's newly refurbished Nutcracker could be broadcast by the BBC next Christmas. I'm sure it would be really popular and it is a fabulous production; possibly the best in the world.'

     

    I'm sure everyone has their own ideas as to what they'd like to see and of course it will probably come to nothing but we can only try!

     

     

    • Like 5
  6. My letter to the Radio Times about the TV Don Q screening was published this week; headed A Time to Dance

     

    'As a ballet enthusiast, I was thrilled by Carlos Acosta's Don Quixote from Birmingham Royal Ballet (29th January, BBC4). The choreography, sets and costumes were terrific and the dancing world-class. You could almost feel the Spanish sunshine on a cold, dreary January evening.

    For once the BBC actually showed something I could enjoy. I just hope it's not too long before we get another feast of ballet'.

     

    I did actually mention Margot as well but that was obviously edited out. I did want to question why it wasn't shown at Christmas as (for me) it was far superior to anything else shown then and I would also have liked to drop a hint about how great it would be if their refurbished Nutcracker was filmed for next Christmas but they don't like their letters too long. I think I will email in about the Nutcracker next Christmas as a programme suggestion. I'm sure it would be hugely popular. Perhaps if a few of us emailed for this (or any other ballet suggestion people prefer) it may have more weight. It will at least show there is an audience for ballet which is what the powers that be seem to doubt. 

     

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/comments-feedback/#/Your comment

     

    This seemed to be the most relevant form I could find. Like many information websites the BBC don't really make it easy to contact them, but I will be filling in this form, requesting the Nutcracker and more ballet/arts programmes generally and hope for the best.

    • Like 5
  7. On 05/02/2023 at 17:18, alison said:

    Marketing? What's that?

    Exactly.  These days what marketing there is seems to be aimed at social media but that involves accessing the ROH page on Twitter, Facebook etc so how does this attract new members? Surely youre preaching to the converted? What happened to the lovely posters you used to see on bus stops and tube trains or even outside the ROH? Are they really so unaffordable? Or can't people be bothered to design and commission them when it's so much easier just to do a post on social media? Is it that marketing teams tend to be younger and perhaps dismiss traditional marketing as old fashioned? Do any of their surveys include traditional marketing and how effective it might be?

    To me the greatest lack of publicity is in the new open up areas.  Plenty of people come in for a drink/chat/use the free WiFi or toilets yet you could be in any building in London for all the emphasis on opera and ballet there. Why aren't there attractive posters, leaflets, snippets of current and coming opera and ballets on the screen? Even the shop just plays music whereas it used to show a current or forthcoming production on dvd. So many marketting opportunities missed, and I'm sure there's many more than I just mentioned. If the marketing was better targeted perhaps the seat prices wouldn't need to be so expensive but I expect I'm in the realms of fantasy with that one. 

    • Like 11
  8. 2 hours ago, Emeralds said:

     

    I still say they are not doing enough true galas for fundraising purposes. Not Diamond Celebration type programming with 3 new ballets thrown in- that felt a bit like Draft Works in a mash up with a triple bill. I mean real galas, where you have pas de deux like Don Q pdd as showstoppers, with other proven popular excerpts, pdd and solos.

     

    My suggestion for raising more income is that if they staged an Ashton gala, with Ashton’s Sleeping Beauty Act 1 Waltz, Sylvia pdd, his Siegfried Act 1 solo, the final pdd from The Dream, Voices of Spring pdd, the Cinderella Act 1 ending with the four season fairies, Cinderella and Fairy Godmother (great music), then in Act 2, a pdd from Ondine, a solo from Les Rendezvous, the White Couple pas de deux from Les Patineurs, the White pas de deux from Marguerite and Armand, and as the finale, the ending of Birthday Offering. They could charge quite high prices (the £200 they suggested) and because it’s a one off, people don’t mind paying it just once, and they would have no problem selling tickets.

     

    There are lots of lovely Ashton works from the back catalogue (eg his Thais pas de deux, The Two Pigeons, something from his Romeo and Juliet etc etc) that would be delightful and worth the expense as a treat. They could do two RB galas a year and with the right programming (no premieres!) of all the old and seldom staged ballets that people are nostalgic for it would work. We’re also keen to see vintage or heritage de Valois, MacMillan, Cranko and Tudor excerpts or pdd that were staged for the Royal Ballet and its previous incarnations (Sadler’s Wells, Vic-Wells). It’s less risky and it’s cheaper than reviving/restoring the entire full ballets. Certainly with regards to Ashton works, we’ve been asking for it for some time now- if it’s a one night only event, it will do well.

    Exactly, Emeralds. I've often thought the same thing. We see so little Ashton   De Valois,  Ballet Russes etc why not have a gala evening and make some money (not that I want Kevin to use this as an excuse to make my favourite choreographers only available at a premium rate). The Fonteyn gala they showed several years ago was easily the best gala I've ever attended as there was so much rarely seen Ashton and traditional choreographers. Such a shame it wasn't filmed. I thought it would have been popular at the cinema. An annual gala with a different theme every year would be a great idea and if it was part of the cinema broadcast or streamed it could generate even more income. 

    • Like 6
  9. Again not a livestream as such but what looks like a traditional Russian folk tale sort of ballet, Shurale, on YouTube. A bit like Legend of Love. Very clear recording. May be worth a look if you like those sort of ballets. Some very vibrant, colourful village scenes. Mods, please remove this entry if contravenes anything. You could always find it by doing a YouTube search. There are several but this one by Kazan Opera Ballet looks by far the best physical quality.

     

     

     

    • Like 2
  10. Neither free  nor a livestream but I didn't know where else to put it and its not worth starting a separate thread. Just had an email from Trafalgar Studios that my favourite musical, Anything Goes, is at the cinema again on Mar 15th and 19th. Original film and cast starring Sutton Foster and Robert Lindsey that was shown on BBC4. It is still on iplayer but I might be tempted to see it on the big screen despite the horrendous price the Odeon charges for their event cinema broadcasts. It's such a feelgood musical and at least I don't have to worry about trains to see it!

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1
  11. Well, the NW train service strikes again (not literally this time but the result is the same). Network Rail have now announced rail works cutting off Preston for 4 successive weekends (except for Sat March 11th).

     

    the 'complexity' of upgrading switches and crossings means the railway must close between Wigan North Western and Lancaster. The closures will occur on Saturday, February 18, and Sunday, February 19; Saturday, February 25, and Sunday, February 26; Saturday, March 4, Sunday, March 5; and Sunday, March 12, with no trains serving Preston on these dates.

     

    So, having had to cancel seeing Vadim this Friday as one of our dogs was ill and we had to cancel going to Cheltenham where I'd booked a coach, my visit 4th of March to see Fumi is now under threat unless we can re-schedule the Cheltenham visit. Going to the theatre is supposed to be a pleasure but these days it involves military manoeuvre type planning. I don't blame the strikers at all (no prizes for guessing whom I do blame!) but it does make life stressful as you're never sure if you're going to get to a performance or if you can then get home on the correct day.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    • Like 6
  12. 7 hours ago, RMM1 said:

    Sunday 29th January 2023:  BBC4 has the BRB 'Don Quixote' from 7.45pm and a repeat of the Ann-Marie Duff 'Margot' from 9.45pm. Usual 'Come Dancing' repeat from 7pm as well.

    Fabulous that the BRB Don Q is being shown at last (unlike the RB Ashton triple!) Was very impressed with it when I saw it in Birmingham and thought the sets in particular far better than the RB version. Good to see Margot again as well. You wonder how much ballet will be shown on the BBC when BBC4 is closed down as most of its ballet seems to be shown there. Let's hope it keeps going for a while yet.

    • Like 3
  13. 3 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

     

    Coaches from Liverpool no longer go direct to London - they go via Birmingham and the time it takes now makes it unfeasible for most things!  We North Westerners are really penalised aren't we Joan!!!

    Yes we certainly are Janet! If the government wanted to get serious about levelling up, the coach service (or lack of it) would be a good place to start. The irritating thing is it used to be quite good pre covid. I don't know why they think no one now wants to travel by coach from Preston but do want to travel from Cheltenham which has its pre covid service virtually intact. Anyway, I've booked my seat for the 3rd and hope the coaches don't now decide to strike!

    • Like 5
  14. 10 hours ago, Scheherezade said:

    I do hope you make it, strikes notwithstanding. And, yes, Vadim is definitely worth it. 

    Thanks  Scherezade. I'm determined to make it! I think it's going to be via the coach from Chelt. I don't know why the coach service is so good from Chelt and so abysmal from Preston. There are loads from Manchester but no direct coaches from Preston to Manchester apart from a Flixbus service which is actually the London coach but doesn't get into Victoria until 19.20.

    • Like 3
  15. 1 minute ago, LinMM said:

    When RMT and ASLEF striking there won’t be any trains. 
    When the RMT only was striking there was one or occasionally two trains an hour instead of usual 4 on Thameslink line but nothing when ASLEF went out. 
     

    Thanks LinMM and MJW. it's more or less what I thought.  So I can rule out waiting for possible trains and either have an extra night or get the coach from Cheltenham. Despite the ongoing building work the latter is looking a more attractive option as my fallback cheap London hotel is temporarily closed. I hope Vadim appreciates all the worry and hard work that goes into seeing him dance! Worth it though!

    • Like 3
  16. 2 hours ago, Balletfanp said:

    They were made a revised offer which (by the sounds of it), wasn’t much of a revision.

     

    I’ll be going back coach but I do that anyway. I know it’s a long way, but is it feasible for you?

     

    No, is the short answer by coach, I'm afraid, Balletfanp. There used to be a very good coach service Preston to London. OK it took 7 hours but I could knock an hour off that by getting off at Golders Green and getting the Northern Line to Euston. Then covid came and now National Express only have one coach a day and that leaves Preston at 3.15am! I've checked Manchester and Birmingham from Preston and it's the same coach for all 3. Megabus too only has 1 coach a day and that doesn't get in London until about 9.05pm. Something called Flixbus stops at Finchley Road at 18.45 so cutting it far too fine for getting to the ROH. In these circs I usually go to Cheltenham and get the excellent coach service from there but the builder has currently turned the house into a disaster area by doing much needed work on the roof, and ripping out the kitchen, preparatory to installing a new one so I don't know if that's feasible. Just checked Vadim's other performance on 20th Jan and it's sold out though there are now a few expensive tickets available on 3rd Feb which was previously sold out. (wonder if that's people returning them because of rail strike?) Having just cancelled two Jan performances I really didn't want to miss seeing Vadim but it looks as if it will be having to risk Chelt or staying over 2 nights.

    Has anyone tried travelling during a train strike? Is there any sort of minimum service running? Presumably you won't know until the day. I wouldn't bother so much if it was for the return journey but don't want to risk waiting hours on a station to no avail. Apparently both ASLEF and RMT are striking so it sounds fairly comprehensive.

×
×
  • Create New...