Lizbie1 Posted May 20, 2019 Share Posted May 20, 2019 On the plus side, at least the threat of having only new works in 2020 seems to have been forgotten. Thinking about the Ashton drought (now I’ve got over the worst of my sulk) how about this for a hypothesis: we were meant to have Cinderella this Christmas but for whatever reason - and I seem to recall that it’s proven difficult in the past to agree designs with the rights holder - this had to be pulled at a late stage, too late for anything else to be substituted in. So the runs of Sleeping Beauty and Coppelia got extended instead. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Q Fan Posted May 20, 2019 Author Share Posted May 20, 2019 Just had time to look at the ballet offerings and one thing stands out a mile to me and that is the lack of matinees. And of those a good proportion are weekdays(very dear to travel weekdays). Only ONE matinee for Onegin??? It's not looking good for me. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 20, 2019 Share Posted May 20, 2019 Really? When we're currently in what seems to me like an unprecedented run of the things? That is a surprise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted May 20, 2019 Share Posted May 20, 2019 1 hour ago, Don Q Fan said: Just had time to look at the ballet offerings and one thing stands out a mile to me and that is the lack of matinees. And of those a good proportion are weekdays(very dear to travel weekdays). Only ONE matinee for Onegin??? It's not looking good for me. But that’s OK, they’re ticking the “catering for the regions” bow with the gala in Doncaster. 😡 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted May 20, 2019 Share Posted May 20, 2019 I’ve counted the following matinées: Manon: 2 Concerto bill: 3 Sleeping Beauty: 3 Coppélia: 5 Onegin: 1 New Marston/Scarlett: 0 Live Fire Exercise bill: 0 Swan Lake: 4 The Dante Project: 0 Tombeaux bill: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pulcinella Posted May 20, 2019 Share Posted May 20, 2019 And of the 4 Swan Lake matinees only one is on a Saturday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RHowarth Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 7 hours ago, Pulcinella said: And of the 4 Swan Lake matinees only one is on a Saturday. As has been mentioned above - it's much dearer to travel on a week day. For me (booking the minute the rail tickets go onsale) a weekday could be £80-£100 each way as opposed to £25 each way on a weekend. Huge difference. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 Why on earth do they start matinees at noon? If it is supposed to help people in the provinces it most certainly doesn't!! A couple of years ago I booked for an early matinee ... there was a problem with the train and I STILL haven't seen After the Rain live!!! Since then, I have booked a hotel for the night before, which is an expense I can do without!! Such programming certainly doesn't cater for many people who live outside London. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 46 minutes ago, RHowarth said: As has been mentioned above - it's much dearer to travel on a week day. For me (booking the minute the rail tickets go onsale) a weekday could be £80-£100 each way as opposed to £25 each way on a weekend. Huge difference. I don’t where you are coming from, going home to, but have you tried splitting the journey? For example, if you can say, get to Birmingham quite cheaply, you can get singles to/ from London for about £7-£8 outside rush hours. You wouldnt even have to change train, if the service went through your in between station 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 4 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said: Why on earth do they start matinees at noon? If it is supposed to help people in the provinces it most certainly doesn't!! A couple of years ago I booked for an early matinee ... there was a problem with the train and I STILL haven't seen After the Rain live!!! Since then, I have booked a hotel for the night before, which is an expense I can do without!! Such programming certainly doesn't cater for many people who live outside London. Such early starts are a pain even when you do live in or around London, as you can’t get much done in the morning, apart from getting yourself up to central London - weekend engineering works permitting of course! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 13 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said: Why on earth do they start matinees at noon? If it is supposed to help people in the provinces it most certainly doesn't!! It's for the benefit of the dancers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 7 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said: It's for the benefit of the dancers. I'm not being funny but how does it benefit the dancers? If that is necessary for them but it causes issues for a lot of the audience who would like to watch the performance but who have difficulties with the early start time then perhaps they should not do those matinees? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RHowarth Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 23 minutes ago, zxDaveM said: I don’t where you are coming from, going home to, but have you tried splitting the journey? For example, if you can say, get to Birmingham quite cheaply, you can get singles to/ from London for about £7-£8 outside rush hours. You wouldnt even have to change train, if the service went through your in between station Thanks Dave but I've tried all that. I don't drive so pretty adept at train travel. That really is what it costs - particularly, as Jan says, when the matinees are early starts. For the triple bill matinee on Friday 7 June it is actually cheaper for me to travel mid afternoon the day before and pay for an extra night in a hotel at £70 than to travel down to London on the Friday in time for the 12 noon start. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 14 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said: I'm not being funny but how does it benefit the dancers? If that is necessary for them but it causes issues for a lot of the audience who would like to watch the performance but who have difficulties with the early start time then perhaps they should not do those matinees? It's so that they have more rest time at a weekend. The matinée usually starts early when it is the only show they are doing that day; on double show days the matinée usually starts later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 9 hours ago, Pulcinella said: And of the 4 Swan Lake matinees only one is on a Saturday. And 2 of the 5 Coppelias and 1 of the 3 Concerto mixed bills (I haven’t checked the others). 1 hour ago, RHowarth said: As has been mentioned above - it's much dearer to travel on a week day. For me (booking the minute the rail tickets go onsale) a weekday could be £80-£100 each way as opposed to £25 each way on a weekend. Huge difference. ...and not exactly helpful if you’re in full-time employment. I thought one of the ROH’s unspoken aims was to attract a younger audience? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RHowarth Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 2 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said: And 2 of the 5 Coppelias and 1 of the 3 Concerto mixed bills (I haven’t checked the others). ...and not exactly helpful if you’re in full-time employment. I thought one of the ROH’s unspoken aims was to attract a younger audience? Well I'm 32, I'm never sure if that counts... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Allen Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 1 hour ago, RHowarth said: Well I'm 32, I'm never sure if that counts... From my perspective I think that's called early adolescence! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penelopesimpson Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 The 12 noon start is difficult for those of us travelling distances, particularly on a Sat. Trains from Dorset are dramatically cutback at weekends and are so full it’s not always possible to get a seat. Add in the fact that almost every Saturday there is a demo about something or other, means I have had to give up Sat matinees. Why London can’t confine demos to a park so that the rest of us can go about our business is beyond me. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 5 hours ago, bangorballetboy said: It's so that they have more rest time at a weekend. The matinée usually starts early when it is the only show they are doing that day; on double show days the matinée usually starts later. I'd always assumed it was down to opera scheduling - either for a long-running one in the evening, or so they could fit another rehearsal of one act of something inbetween the two performances! But perhaps the two aren't mutually exclusive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 47 minutes ago, penelopesimpson said: The 12 noon start is difficult for those of us travelling distances, particularly on a Sat. Trains from Dorset are dramatically cutback at weekends and are so full it’s not always possible to get a seat. Add in the fact that almost every Saturday there is a demo about something or other, means I have had to give up Sat matinees. Why London can’t confine demos to a park so that the rest of us can go about our business is beyond me. Whilst I can sympathise with the inconvenience caused - that is surely the whole point of a demonstration. If no disruption, it gets very little if any press coverage. And even then, they only seem to get wide press and TV coverage if violence erupts sadly. And besides, most demonstrations accumulate in a park (usually Hyde Park), and people walk along Park Lane, Piccadilly, St James and into Trafalgar Sq for Whitehall and Downing St. From my own personal experience, using either Charing X or Waterloo, I haven’t been disrupted much at all 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNC Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 Diverging from the above, I've been told that casting announcements for ballet should be available from this weekend... 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 11 hours ago, RHowarth said: Well I'm 32, I'm never sure if that counts... Going a bit off topic here but I'm 2 years older than you & I too am not sure if I count a younger audience member or not. By the standards of most opera audiences I'm at the younger end but I've been seeing opera at the ROH for 15 years so am I actually part of the repeat audience that the ROH seem to want to get rid of...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 Some info from tonight’s Patrons’ & Premium Friends’ Season Preview. The Heritage programme in the Linbury will be RB & BRB and hopefully one more company. It will include 2 Ashton pieces, one of which will be Dante Sonata (BRB). Ed Watson is scheduled to dance in the bit of The Dante Project that is being performed in LA in July. Preludes will have new costumes and lighting, will be just piano rather than full orchestra and may not be all 24 (hence the name change). The new Marston is at least one hour in length. Barenboim wants to be played by someone pretty! The new Scarlett will be “joyous”. There will be new principal castings in Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty. No news on the TBC in the final mixed bill. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 1 minute ago, bangorballetboy said: The Heritage programme in the Linbury will be RB & BRB and hopefully one more company. It will include 2 Ashton pieces, one of which will be Dante Sonata (BRB). Hurrah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 The Doncaster event will include a significant outreach project that should involve every school in Doncaster. And, the best news of the evening, the Chance to Dance project is being expanded nationally, and will include a continuing project in Doncaster. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penelopesimpson Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 (edited) 10 hours ago, zxDaveM said: Whilst I can sympathise with the inconvenience caused - that is surely the whole point of a demonstration. If no disruption, it gets very little if any press coverage. And even then, they only seem to get wide press and TV coverage if violence erupts sadly. And besides, most demonstrations accumulate in a park (usually Hyde Park), and people walk along Park Lane, Piccadilly, St James and into Trafalgar Sq for Whitehall and Downing St. From my own personal experience, using either Charing X or Waterloo, I haven’t been disrupted much at all Well, you must be using a different Waterloo to me. I can’t agree that the purpose of a demonstration is to disrupt others lives. There are many subjects I feel passionate about but I don’t think that gives me the right to ruin people’s leisure time. I cannot use the underground and rely on buses which are routinely re-routed when there is a demo. Taxis refuse to cross the bridge/ or can’t get through. Only two weeks ago a taxi driver told me Waterloo was fast becoming a no-go area. I am sick to death of an ordinary semi-disabled female of no political persuasion having no rights because I am heterosexual, don’t ride a bike and am not an ethnic minority, a serial protestor or a virtue signaller. Edited May 21, 2019 by penelopesimpson 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Q Fan Posted May 22, 2019 Author Share Posted May 22, 2019 On 20/05/2019 at 23:35, Pulcinella said: And of the 4 Swan Lake matinees only one is on a Saturday. Exactly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Q Fan Posted May 22, 2019 Author Share Posted May 22, 2019 On 21/05/2019 at 08:43, RHowarth said: Thanks Dave but I've tried all that. I don't drive so pretty adept at train travel. That really is what it costs - particularly, as Jan says, when the matinees are early starts. For the triple bill matinee on Friday 7 June it is actually cheaper for me to travel mid afternoon the day before and pay for an extra night in a hotel at £70 than to travel down to London on the Friday in time for the 12 noon start. Oh tell me about it I had a nightmare getting a ticket for that Friday 7/6 matinee because Virgin advance fares on a Friday are not cheap to start with! Only that I got an offer of 20% off I got a fare for £65. Royal Ballet are the only company in the UK I know of that have matinees at 12noon all other companies are 2 or 2.30pm. I am aware that matinee means morning. In Europe often there are Sunday matinees at 2pm 2.30pm or 4pm. It's crazy. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 On 21/05/2019 at 09:01, Lizbie1 said: And 2 of the 5 Coppelias and 1 of the 3 Concerto mixed bills (I haven’t checked the others). Returning to this...I’ve now gone through the monthly calendar view for February to the end of the season. In that time, out of 25 available Saturdays there are: 2 x main stage opera matinees 3 x main stage ballet matinees (including the Swan Lake Welcome performance, not available to regulars) 1 x RBS Summer Performance Additionally, on the 3 Bank Holiday Mondays (Good Friday being traditionally off limits) there is one “early evening” La Traviata and one Swan Lake matinee. There may of course also be a few Friends Rehearsals on Saturday mornings/afternoons which have yet to be announced, but it is surprising that the Main Stage will be so little used for performances over a six month period. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 That does sound somewhat ridiculous. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 17 hours ago, bangorballetboy said: There will be new principal castings in Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty. Sorry to be dense, but by "new principal castings", do they mean: a) new castings (whatever the category of dancer) for the two lead roles (hardly newsworthy, as it is pretty unlikely the exact same castings as last time would be proposed ) b) new Principal dancers of the company cast in the lead roles for these productions (definitely newsworthy) or c) new castings for Principal dancers of the company who have not previously danced the lead roles in these productions,or d) some combination of the above, or something else ? ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 3 minutes ago, Richard LH said: Sorry to be dense, but by "new principal castings", do they mean: a) new castings (whatever the category of dancer) for the two lead roles (hardly newsworthy, as it is pretty unlikely the exact same castings as last time would be proposed ) b) new Principal dancers of the company cast in the lead roles for these productions (definitely newsworthy) or c) new castings for Principal dancers of the company who have not previously danced the lead roles in these productions,or d) some combination of the above, or something else ? ! As I'm not Kevin O'Hare I can't be certain, but I took this to mean that the principal roles in the named ballets (i.e. Odette/Odille and Siegfried and Aurora and Prince Whateveryouwanttocallhim) will be danced by people who have not previous danced those roles with the company. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 2 hours ago, bangorballetboy said: As I'm not Kevin O'Hare I can't be certain, but I took this to mean that the principal roles in the named ballets (i.e. Odette/Odille and Siegfried and Aurora and Prince Whateveryouwanttocallhim) will be danced by people who have not previous danced those roles with the company. Yes that makes most sense! I was over-thinking this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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 accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now