The "new" Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

[capybara]

It is a disgrace that the ROH has not used the enforced closure of the Piazza entrance to sort out the revolving door, which is still stopping as it always did - and is dangerous.

I had nothing checked at any time yesterday - not my bag, not my tickets, Amazing!

[Thalia]

4 minutes ago, capybara said:

It is a disgrace that the ROH has not used the enforced closure of the Piazza entrance to sort out the revolving door, which is still stopping as it always did - and is dangerous.

I had nothing checked at any time yesterday - not my bag, not my tickets, Amazing!

 

We had a cursory glance into our bags by a harassed member of staff by the Piazza entrance (the door was held so you could walk straight though) and tickets were sort of checked by the door to the area where we were sitting in the afternoon. In the evening, there was no bag check but tickets were half-heartedly checked again. No tickets were checked after the intervals at any point, though, for which I was grateful. I hate having to fish about for my ticket once I’m in the building!  

[Blossom]

2 hours ago, Thalia said:

I found the “experience” of going to the ROH was lessened somewhat by staff waiting all gloved up with vacuum cleaners as everyone streamed out last night. 

 

😂😂😂

[ENBlover]

Walked in without anybody to check my ticket or bag.  Very bizarre.  I stuck to my usual area so most of the buzz and excitement of the renovation has passed me by.  I'm aiming to keep it this way.  

[JohnS]

I can only say for the Ring my ticket was checked every Opera/Act (ten) in accessing the stairs from the foyer and in the Balcony Stalls - and not just me I should add.  

Slightly disconcerting that when seated in the theatre with 10 minutes to go for Gotterdammerung an usher asked me what my seat number was (A53 Balcony Stalls), looking for A12 for an audience member.  More worryingly a few minutes later the usher returned and asked me again for my seat number, still apparently looking for how to get to A12 with the audience member.  I'm afraid I said 'still A53' which probably wasn't very tactful but the usher recognised that I'd already provided the information.  I'm sure all was well and the audience member was seated for the Prologue.

[alison]

Have they got a load of new ushers?  I've noticed more of them than usual looking at the seating "crib sheets".

[bridiem]

11 minutes ago, alison said:

Have they got a load of new ushers?  I've noticed more of them than usual looking at the seating "crib sheets".

 

I don't know, but all they ever say to me is 'do you know where you're going?'. By the time they've waited for my reply, they might just as well have told me. Unless, of course, they're not sure themselves...

[graemew]

I have had a number of conversations with ushers recently and have found them very personable, knowledgeable and helpful. One lady I had spoken to a week of so ago was on door 5d on Saturday and took the trouble to say "Hello, how are you?" because she recognised my wife and I. There are some new ones but I have only good experiences in dealing with them.

Presumably the extra "open" hours will have necessitated increasing staff numbers quite dramatically for both ushers and bar staff, so the ushers will need time to find their way around. 

 

[bridiem]

37 minutes ago, graemew said:

 

Presumably the extra "open" hours will have necessitated increasing staff numbers quite dramatically for both ushers and bar staff, so the ushers will need time to find their way around. 

 

 

Finding their way around should be the main part of their training, i.e. it should happen before they start dealing with the public. Otherwise it's not fair either on them or on the public. But yes they do seem to be pleasant, if understandably rather stressed.

[Mary]

I too wandered around chatting to staff yesterday , and very charming and nice they all were. A young man was sitting in the ground floor coffee bar, all alone with some of these teeny weeny new leaflets ( they have no casting but are quite a handy little guide to keep in a purse and have some beautiful photos too). I asked him if he was the new Box Office but he said 'They' were still undecided where to put it- they thought it might be too noisy in the coffee bar- and that the small cosy area of the temporary shop was better 'as people like to discuss their booking and seats with someone in a quieter atmosphere'. I agreed they sometimes did and it would be nice to have the full box office back.

 

Noone checked my ticket anywhere all evening- a first for me and a bit odd. This  might account for what happened later though.

 

When we really needed some staff there was noone around- in the amphi, as the conductor was coming out someone was stumbling up and down the stairs shining a phone as a torch-we could see there were no seats left nearby- she sat down for a bit on a step! then went away, then came back when the orchestra were playing,...no sign of an usher. Then in the pause between scenes- orchestra playing- an usher brought her down again, and she squeezed along the entire row most of whom had to gather their things and stand up, with much treading on toes and muttering- - to end up far away at a seat she should have accessed by another door- with a not very happy audience much disrupted. I don't think they should have brought her in until after the interval...but then the right door would have made it  a bit less of a pain!

 

[bridiem]

7 minutes ago, Mary said:

I too wandered around chatting to staff yesterday , and very charming and nice they all were. A young man was sitting in the ground floor coffee bar, all alone with some of these teeny weeny new leaflets ( they have no casting but are quite a handy little guide to keep in a purse and have some beautiful photos too). I asked him if he was the new Box Office but he said 'They' were still undecided where to put it- they thought it might be too noisy in the coffee bar- and that the small cosy area of the temporary shop was better 'as people like to discuss their booking and seats with someone in a quieter atmosphere'.

 

 

But how can 'they' have planned this entire project without incorporating/deciding about the box office?! It's crucial to the whole enterprise!

[penelopesimpson]

That is a complete mystery.  In fact everything their marketing department does is .....of course, they believe that everything is online or on social media so the idea of helpful, knowledgeable people selling tickets is SO over!

Edited November 7, 2018 by penelopesimpson

[Mary]

You would think so....This is the third member of staff on three different occasions who has told me this so there must be some basis for it.

 

 

[Mary]

I've just had an email from ROH about a cinema season they are running in the Linbury in December-January, to mark 10 years of live screenings. It does seem like a good idea in some ways- on the other hand I am not going to travel to London just for a film screening- and on the whole, after all the expense and upheaval, would prefer  the theatre to be used for live performance.

 

On the other hand- if you were around, and had the time it would be very nice to go to some of these- not sure how big the screen will be.

Some of the showings are apparently 'family-friendly' matinees with children going free- so that could be great for some -others will want to avoid!

 

 

[Fonty]

This is one of my major gripes at the moment, the assumption that everyone carries a smartphone around with them, and is permanently plugged in to the internet.  Some time ago, TFL replaced several bus stops and didn't put back the indicator saying when the next bus would arrive.  Their argument was that "Everyone" has a smartphone and can access that info on line.  I think there must have been quite a few complaints, my own included, because they did eventually come back.  

 

 

[Lizbie1]

16 minutes ago, Fonty said:

Their argument was that "Everyone" has a smartphone and can access that info on line.  I think there must have been quite a few complaints, my own included, because they did eventually come back.  

 

Wow! That is quite some assumption in many ways!

[zxDaveM]

1 hour ago, Mary said:

I've just had an email from ROH about a cinema season they are running in the Linbury in December-January, to mark 10 years of live screenings. It does seem like a good idea in some ways- on the other hand I am not going to travel to London just for a film screening- and on the whole, after all the expense and upheaval, would prefer  the theatre to be used for live performance.

 

On the other hand- if you were around, and had the time it would be very nice to go to some of these- not sure how big the screen will be.

Some of the showings are apparently 'family-friendly' matinees with children going free- so that could be great for some -others will want to avoid!

 

 

 

it popped up on Facebook too.

At first glance, I thought it might be aiming at casual visitors to the staff canteen like area (cafe come cloakroom area) on the ground floor, but the need to pre-buy tickets and of course no box office in that area for spur of the moment buys, sort of excludes that. List of ballet films are the most recent DVD releases (and/or cinema broadcasts) for the last 3-4 years, as far as I can work out

[Blossom]

2 hours ago, Mary said:

I've just had an email from ROH about a cinema season they are running in the Linbury in December-January, to mark 10 years of live screenings. It does seem like a good idea in some ways- on the other hand I am not going to travel to London just for a film screening- and on the whole, after all the expense and upheaval, would prefer  the theatre to be used for live performance.

 

On the other hand- if you were around, and had the time it would be very nice to go to some of these- not sure how big the screen will be.

Some of the showings are apparently 'family-friendly' matinees with children going free- so that could be great for some -others will want to avoid!

 

 

Also had the email and have passed on the details to some friends who are dabbling with ballet at the moment - great low cost idea. None of the dates work for me - would have liked to have taken kids to Alice. 

 

BUT I still think ROH is missing a trick in terms of their provision for children. Why no actual performances at the Linbury tailored to children? ENB and BRB have my first ballet/first steps and tour these works. ENB's version (can't speak for BRB's) makes use of their students who get performance opportunities as a result. With the upper school next door,  would love to see them bring kids into the building for shorter performances.

[Beryl H]

I was looking at the ROH pictures of the new areas that I had online thinking I might as well delete them now, and noticed that one of them clearly shows a Box Office, taken from the bottom of the new stairway looking left, just about where the café is or a bit nearer the stairs, no café, tables or stools visible, but more of the long low seating that is also there now, it looked elegant and spacious, shame they didn't go with this plan!

 

 

[alison]

I just got one of those stupid polls through saying: 

"We are always looking for ways to improve our audience's experience and we'd love to get some feedback on your latest visit"

 

which then only asks you whether you'd recommend the production and the ROH.  Hardly "feedback", particularly at a time when major changes have been implemented!

 

I'm afraid I have considerably downgraded my enthusiasm for recommending the ROH.  Having spent decades trying at every possible opportunity to correct the impression of the ROH as a place only the rich can afford, I can no longer in good conscience recommend it to people, knowing as I do that formerly cheap seats are now frequently costing 50%, and sometimes up to 100%, of what they cost a year ago    

[JohnS]

With the ROH placing greater emphasis on Twitter and Facebook, I'm a bit alarmed to see so few comments on the various News articles - nothing on La Bayadere (performance or Insight), Francesca Hayward, Antonio Pappano, Walkure relay etc.  It may be there are some posts awaiting moderation but one clear way of demonstrating our appreciation of the website, particularly News, is to add comments.  If there is evidence of activity generated by articles, it makes it much easier to argue for continued investment.  I'll stop there and add a couple of posts to the ROH's News pages.

[bridiem]

Just now, JohnS said:

With the ROH placing greater emphasis on Twitter and Facebook, I'm a bit alarmed to see so few comments on the various News articles - nothing on La Bayadere (performance or Insight), Francesca Hayward, Antonio Pappano, Walkure relay etc.  It may be there are some posts awaiting moderation but one clear way of demonstrating our appreciation of the website, particularly News, is to add comments.  If there is evidence of activity generated by articles, it makes it much easier to argue for continued investment.  I'll stop there and add a couple of posts to the ROH's News pages.

 

Last time I looked they said they were having problems with the comments function and were working on it...

[Balletfanp]

Probably because it says at the top of the page that comments cannot currently be added due to problems with the website.....

 

Edited to say that I have just noticed Bridiem's reply.

 

Edited November 7, 2018 by Balletfanp

[JohnS]

21 hours ago, JohnS said:

With the ROH placing greater emphasis on Twitter and Facebook, I'm a bit alarmed to see so few comments on the various News articles - nothing on La Bayadere (performance or Insight), Francesca Hayward, Antonio Pappano, Walkure relay etc.  It may be there are some posts awaiting moderation but one clear way of demonstrating our appreciation of the website, particularly News, is to add comments.  If there is evidence of activity generated by articles, it makes it much easier to argue for continued investment.  I'll stop there and add a couple of posts to the ROH's News pages.

 

Apologies for copying this but I see that a couple of my posts from yesterday are now on ROH News but very little else.  I know there was a problem with ROH's website some time ago but it appears to be working if rather a dearth of comments.  I really would encourage people to post their comments - use it or lose it.

[Blossom]

Wasn’t sure where to mention this as don’t think it warrants a new thread. I think this is a suitable place.

 

Some friends and I took our daughters to today’s Remembrance Sunday ‘Month of Sundays’ event and was very impressed. It was a great example of how the ROH is ‘opening up’ and engaging with a more diverse audience (although thinking about it, there is still room for improving this)- and just generally being a very welcoming space. 

 

Every non-auditorium space was busy with arts and crafts activities - we made poppies from upcycled programmes, there was fan making and a lucky few got to decorate some used pointe shoes with fabric odd and ends from the costume department. 

 

The Linbury foyer, main foyer and the ‘level 5’ restaurant were busy with musicians and opera singers, the Paul Hamlyn Hall was opened up (assume the bar was operating at the sides but don’t recall if they were) and there were dancing and big sing activities.

 

Various things were going on in the Clore Studio- there was a mini version of the rehearsal /insight for Unknown Soldier which we saw with Matthew Ball dancing and Alastair Marriott and Jonathan Howells coaching as well as answering questions and explaining how they have brought this idea of soldiers not returning from the war to life. 

 

The cafe area downstairs was decorated with bigger versions of the poppies we crafted and they looked really festive.

 

A great use of all of the space and nicely heaving. Kevin O’Hare was very much present throughout the afternoon too.

 

I think the cleaners will have quite a job tomorrow though!

[Don Q Fan]

Yes I found it welcoming yesterday at my first performance since the open up.  It was nice to be able to hang around after the show especially as the weather was awful.  £2.50 for a huge pot of tea was good just the interval was too short to drink it all!  I felt it is a place I can just go into now even if no performance is on.

My only negative is the numbering of doors etc I did miss the left and right which I found easier.

Edited November 11, 2018 by Don Q Fan

[zxDaveM]

happy to hear you had a good time at ROH Blossom  (as did I) - but 'festive' poppies?

[Blossom]

46 minutes ago, zxDaveM said:

happy to hear you had a good time at ROH Blossom  (as did I) - but 'festive' poppies?

 Not the best choice of word I agree but the poppies really made it feel like a special occasion. And I have no idea how to edit the post!!

Edited November 11, 2018 by Blossom

[LinMM]

Blossom I think you can only see the edit sign at the bottom of a post for about 30mins so after that you cannot edit without asking a Moderator to help 

If you are within the 30 mins then go to the word edit at the bottom of the post and a box with your post written inside it will come up then you can make the changes you want to and then go to the word "save" at the bottom of the box and the post should reappear on the page and it will show at the bottom that you have edited it.

 

[Sim]

Yes, you have 30 minutes to edit a post.  

[LinMM]

Also in case it makes you feel a little better Blossom this was in the Sunday Times yesterday:

" Yesterday's Festival in the Royal Albert Hall was an eloquent reminder of the loss and horror of the First World War" 

 

so so they had used the "Festive" word too .....though of course because the "Festive Season" usually refers to Christmas it is perhaps not the best word to use but you are in good company anyway!! 

[Timmie]

18 hours ago, Blossom said:

...The cafe area downstairs was decorated with bigger versions of the poppies we crafted and they looked really festive...

 

They certainly looked festive, I thought it was Christmas decorations until the penny dropped.

[taxi4ballet]

On 12/10/2018 at 13:39, Bluebird said:

 

A friend who, years ago, used to spend a lot of time in Eastern Europe, once told me that she always made sure to have a 50 pence piece with her as it served very well as a plug in the many plug less basins there. 

 

Edited to add that I think it’s possible our current 50p coins are marginally smaller than they were then. Still might work though!

The lids of plastic milk bottles fit plugholes quite well, as evidenced in my kitchen on a frequent basis when hubby has done the washing up and the sink won't drain!