Jump to content

The "new" Royal Opera House, Covent Garden


Recommended Posts

I'm certainly not a fan of the caff, as I rudely call it, but I would like to make a couple of points,in its favour. Last night I was with a friend who is,elderly and very frail. Add to this I have mobility problems and between us,we look a pretty decrepit pair.Although we both like the PH bar the caff is more convenient for her, saving extra lift journeys. And the staff are pleasant and helpful, happily taking our drinks to a table. And I did notice the box office - it certainly looked like an afterthought, but is at least better than nothing.

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Replies 1.2k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

One highlight from a Friends email just received:--

 

>>the Box Office has moved back into our Ground Floor Foyer, alongside the cafe.

 

Have not yet tried this in the new location: do they have enough room to deal with everybody and everything?

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

More to the point does it stand out, is its purpose clear, is it easily accessible from outside/from within, is space set aside for people waiting to be attended to, in other words (and I know this is novel thinking for the new ROH) does its new location and layout facilitate its function?

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

37 minutes ago, David said:

More to the point does it stand out, is its purpose clear, is it easily accessible from outside/from within, is space set aside for people waiting to be attended to, in other words (and I know this is novel thinking for the new ROH) does its new location and layout facilitate its function?

 

Personally, the only test it fails for me from above is that it isn't immediately accessible from outside. If you come in from the piazza, you only see it side on (I missed it completely the first time I came in that way, after its arrival), and is the other side of the Linbury staircase if you come in via the main doors from Bow St. - and its also behind the staircase leading up to the Floral Hall from the new caff area. Once you do get there though, it does look fir for purpose

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Interesting broadside from Rupert Christiansen at the end of his review of Werther (mods please edit if this is too long):

 

"Two long intervals meant that the performance didn’t end until 10.45 – far too late for people living outside central London. Given this sort of metropolitan high-handedness, its mediocre website, rotten over-priced catering and refusal to issue any printed seasonal brochures, one may well wonder quite how serious the Royal Opera House is about its trumpeted desire to “open up” to ordinary working folks."

 

Link: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opera/what-to-see/werther-royal-opera-house-reviewjuan-diego-florez-lights-otherwise/

  • Like 11
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Lizbie1 said:

Interesting broadside from Rupert Christiansen at the end of his review of Werther (mods please edit if this is too long):

 

"Two long intervals meant that the performance didn’t end until 10.45 – far too late for people living outside central London. 

 

My heart sank when I saw this sentence, as I'm seeing Werther in a couple of weeks. I might have to dash out before the curtain calls, like I had to for both Billy Budd & Nozze di Figaro last season, in order to get a train that gets me home at half past midnight rather than 1am.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

 

My heart sank when I saw this sentence, as I'm seeing Werther in a couple of weeks. I might have to dash out before the curtain calls, like I had to for both Billy Budd & Nozze di Figaro last season, in order to get a train that gets me home at half past midnight rather than 1am.

 

The stupid thing is that none of these productions is or was new and only Billy Budd was new to the house, so why the overruns?

 

The occasional miscalculation with a new production I could understand, but not the umpteenth revival or a bought-in known quantity.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

The stupid thing is that none of these productions is or was new and only Billy Budd was new to the house, so why the overruns?

 

The occasional miscalculation with a new production I could understand, but not the umpteenth revival or a bought-in known quantity.

 

Is it an overrun or just overly long intervals (planned in advance)?

 

I understand people want to get a drink and most want a toilet break but I really think a (planned) 25 minute interval is too long. Have intervals always been this long? Perhaps this is harsh but I think 15-20 minutes tops should be long enough for everyone, and perhaps one longer interval and one shorter one would suit better (although give less opportunity for drink revenue). Having said that I prefer longer intervals to people being allowed to take food/drink into the auditorium! 

 

It’s quite a bold statement from the critic but a highly valid one and I hope ROH take note. (Including very valid points around brochures and overpriced food.)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 20/09/2019 at 17:03, Dawnstar said:

 

My heart sank when I saw this sentence, as I'm seeing Werther in a couple of weeks. I might have to dash out before the curtain calls, like I had to for both Billy Budd & Nozze di Figaro last season, in order to get a train that gets me home at half past midnight rather than 1am.

 

I saw Werther on Friday night and it finished at 10:40.  I was in the SC and had a very good view of the mass exodus during the curtain calls from the OS, presumably for similar reasons.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Considering how far it is from a lot of the seats at ROH to the toilets and bars - especially on house right - I think 20 minutes is generally too short for an interval, especially given the fact that the ROH restaurants offer dessert to diners during the interval.  I do, however, wonder why it was deemed necessary to have two intervals in Werther - the first and second acts combined are shorter in duration than Act 1 of, for example, The Barber of Seville.  Other than the fact that time is meant to pass in the narrative between these two acts, I can't think of a solid technical reason why they couldn't have had just a single 30min interval after Act 2.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hadn't twigged there were 2 intervals for Werther. As if I'm not going to spend enough time hanging around the ROH that day as it is, with 2 intervals for Manon & then several hours before Werther. Between that & the travelling I reckon I'll be out for about 14 hours for maybe 5 hours of actual stage viewing time! A pity there's no longer any WE shows that have a 4pm matinee. The 39 Steps used to be a useful way of spending 2 hours after an early matinee.

Edited by Dawnstar
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...