JennyTaylor Posted September 28, 2019 Share Posted September 28, 2019 Hayward / Campbell - they have been electric when partnered together - but we haven't seen them properly together for a couple of years. I am SO looking forward to it. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candleque Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 On 28/09/2019 at 10:21, capybara said: Overall, there are several thousand seats still available. This has to be unprecedented. I am also very sad for the dancers, but find I have less sympathy for the management. Agree with others who say it is too soon to bring this back (feel the same about Swan Lake tbh) and the prices are so high that even dedicated ballet fans have to make choices. I booked the Manon rehearsal, but that's it. I saved my budget for extra Coppélia shows (which I have never seen) and Onegin shows (which I only saw once). Marketing efforts seem to be mostly preaching to the converted. Agree Manon is not a ballet with the name recognition needed to attract first-timers, but the drama of the story should be a huge asset to a more sophisticated PR and advertising campaign. (I work in an agency, so naturally think the Royal Ballet needs professional marketing help 😆) 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 16 hours ago, JennyTaylor said: Hayward / Campbell - they have been electric when partnered together - but we haven't seen them properly together for a couple of years. I am SO looking forward to it. And put Corrales's Lescaut into the mix 😃........... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNC Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 1 hour ago, capybara said: And put Corrales's Lescaut into the mix 😃........... I know this sounds like such a delicious cast! I'm gutted I can't make any of their performances! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 I'm desperately hoping will be mobile enough to get up to London on 29th when this cast is performing...if not I will have a ticket to sell 😢 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 Hayward Campbell and Corrales cast confirmed for General Rehearsal this morning... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candleque Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 23 minutes ago, Richard LH said: Hayward Campbell and Corrales cast confirmed for General Rehearsal this morning... So happy. Wanted to see this cast most. Magri too 🙌 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 I know we're not allowed to review rehearsals but I must just say that my idea of returning a performance ticket if the rehearsal cast was one of the five I'm booked to see got rapidly abandoned - I need to see this cast again! Meanwhile my mother, who hadn't intended to see any performances, spent the 2nd interval at the box office booking for another cast! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNC Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 So despite the glut of seats left for Manon tomorrow it has (as far as I'm aware) not gone into student standby. My friend (who is eligible for standby) has told me she hasn't received an email yet...not really sure what ROH's plans are - if they are not doing general offers or even student standby with this many unsold seats... Shame, I was hoping to be her plus one! I have already booked a lot for this Autumn season (and am budgeting for Winter) so couldn't afford a full price ticket but I would have happily gone for £10. Not really sure what the thinking is behind NOT putting this in a student standby to be honest. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisG Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 3 hours ago, Dawnstar said: I know we're not allowed to review rehearsals but I must just say that my idea of returning a performance ticket if the rehearsal cast was one of the five I'm booked to see got rapidly abandoned - I need to see this cast again! Meanwhile my mother, who hadn't intended to see any performances, spent the 2nd interval at the box office booking for another cast! In a similar vein I will just say that though when I arrived for the rehearsal I was a little bit disappointed to find it was the same cast I'd booked for my one visit in the run, by the end I was extremely glad I would get the chance to see them again! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninamargaret Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 Having seen both participants, although with different partners, I decided that this was a cast i couldn't miss! So for me it's them, plus Morera/Bonelli. But I really hope that sales pick up; it's very worrying from all points of view. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Perregrino Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 Have students started back yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 Good point. I think they probably have, by and large, although might still be busy getting themselves sorted out rather than keen on going out on the town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 7 hours ago, alison said: Good point. I think they probably have, by and large, although might still be busy getting themselves sorted out rather than keen on going out on the town. The students I know are back. And when I was a student in London, nothing stopped me going to ballet/theatre/concerts etc! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNC Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 12 minutes ago, bridiem said: The students I know are back. And when I was a student in London, nothing stopped me going to ballet/theatre/concerts etc! Agree - also remember student standby includes Masters/PhD students who may have already lived here several years and are less in 'settling in' mode right now. Also in terms of ROH student standby it's irrelevant - Werther and Don Giovanni have so far gone into standby already this season, with fewer tickets available no less! If this is an oversight on part of ROH it's a pretty huge one. If it's not I'm not really sure what the logic is of not including it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 Maybe they're saving any standbys until some later performances of Manon which have sold far worse than the rest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Perregrino Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 it's interesting to note that for the 5th October matinee there are only 14 seats left in the amphitheatre whereas for all other performances there are 100+ seats..... hmmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 I suppose that it's possible that they are trying to create an environment wherein, unless you pay the prices they have set, you don't get to see a show. Flooding the student/young friend market with tickets could be counterproductive to such a strategy (although using the word 'strategy' doesn't seem to fit this scenario). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 So many unsold seats for Manon .... on a quick look at a few, I see 200+ unsold for opening night tonight ..... 250+ unsold for tomorrow .... 500+ unsold for Steven McRae’s first performance after long injury break. Even Osipova/Hallberg performances have 100+ unsold. The only cast that is close to sold out is Nuñez/Bolle. Separately I notice that Osipova’s programme at Sadlers Wells in 3 weeks is similarly unsold (at most 25% sold). What is is going on? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 Increasing ticket price rises? I was surprised how expensive SW is becoming. Thanks everyone for the good news on Hayward/Campbell, I have just booked for the matinee! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 I wonder whether the SW Osipova situation is because it’s apparently a repeat of last year’s programme? (I certainly wasn’t tempted to book again for it, and I’m a fan of hers.) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 42 minutes ago, Beryl H said: Thanks everyone for the good news on Hayward/Campbell, I have just booked for the matinee! and CORRALES and MAGRI !!!!!! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penelopesimpson Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 Lucy Sinclair's legacy. Many years in marketing taught me to beware the 'here today, gone tomorrow' marketing diva. They would make big changes to their brand, some of which might enjoy a temporary upswing, and then the diva concerned would depart for pastures new before the cows came home to roost. If they were really clever, they would then be able to claim that the new management hadn't got a clue - yes, Terry Leahy, I'm thinking of you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamk Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 2 hours ago, FionaE said: So many unsold seats for Manon .... on a quick look at a few, I see 200+ unsold for opening night tonight ..... 250+ unsold for tomorrow .... 500+ unsold for Steven McRae’s first performance after long injury break. Even Osipova/Hallberg performances have 100+ unsold. The only cast that is close to sold out is Nuñez/Bolle. Separately I notice that Osipova’s programme at Sadlers Wells in 3 weeks is similarly unsold (at most 25% sold). What is is going on? i think Manon has simply been on too often in recent years (also by ENB) and people are maybe tired of seeing it. It needs a re-design (like Stuttgart Mayerling production to inject some new life into it) There is also casting - personally, in this RB run there is only one cast where I want to see both the Manon and the Des Grieux. The current poor sales are surely an embarrassment for the RoH and for some of the principals - only the guest Bolle has sold well. As for Osipova at Sadlers Wells the ticket prices are ridiculous ! More expensive than ENB Khan's Giselle which was a full company performance with a full Iive orchestra. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 Speaking of unsold seats, I was saddened and disappointed to see so many empty seats at the Birmingham Hippodrome last Saturday night for BRB's spectacular production of Giselle. World-class dancing, stunning sets, beautiful music.....what is wrong with people?? I mean, if this Giselle can't sell out the Hippodrome on a Saturday night, I don't know what's going on either! Are people starting to batten down the hatches because of Brexit uncertainty, I wonder? The good folks of Birmingham really missed out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNC Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 (edited) 7 hours ago, capybara said: Maybe they're saving any standbys until some later performances of Manon which have sold far worse than the rest? Maybe yes, but there are easily over 200 tickets still left unsold for tonight, with half (or more) of the amphi unsold. ROH don't advance plan to release standby tickets - they only go on sale the day before a performance with the offer expiring at midnight. Standby isn't actually that common as productions often do sell out. With only 2 hour to go till performance starts, this many seats are still unsold. And the other areas aren't sold out either - around 100 tickets available in the non-amphi seats. 4 hours ago, capybara said: I suppose that it's possible that they are trying to create an environment wherein, unless you pay the prices they have set, you don't get to see a show. Flooding the student/young friend market with tickets could be counterproductive to such a strategy (although using the word 'strategy' doesn't seem to fit this scenario). Unless ROH policy has changed, the standby process is an established exception to this rule for (valid) reasons around introducing a younger generation, 'subsiding' those who are more likely to have less disposable income, targeting an age group who generally don't plan/book events months in advance. I appreciate the standby scheme isn't fallible and can be open to misuse, with some students probably being able to afford full price tickets etc., but I think it's a thing worth investing in/continuing. Judging by my/my friends' experiences this is a performance that should have gone to standby. If students don't get standbys with this level of tickets unsold it kind of goes against the purpose of the scheme (in my opinion) and regardless of whether you are pro/con the standby system it would have definitely led to increased sales for this performance - ok at £10 a ticket it may not be a 'fair' price, but £10 is better than £0 and an empty seat, especially if you factor in the non-financial benefits of the student standby I have already mentioned. The only thing I can think of is that perhaps they don't want to do a standby for an opening night? But I really don't understand why, if anything it should be the opposite - critics come to opening nights and a half full auditorium won't necessarily look good (though of course shouldn't affect the review/quality of the performance). But an auditorium half full of young people looks good, or at least better than half empty surely? Ironically tomorrow's matinee performance of Don Giovanni has gone to student standby. I remain very confused as to why Manon hasn't gone to standby when DG has? It's also looking exceedingly likely that tomorrow's performance with similar numbers of unsold seats will not go into standby either. So far Werther and DG have gone into standby this season for more than one performance - it's not looking good for ROH financially... Anyway I appreciate I have increasingly digressed into an analysis of the standby scheme so I'll stop there. To conclude - I am just very surprised and disappointed at the way ROH is managing poor ticket sales - i.e. by doing nothing at all to counter them, even established routes such as the standby scheme. I wonder if we'll see price reductions (in the form of lower ticket prices for the Spring/Summer seasons) to counteract? Edited October 2, 2019 by JNC 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 If anything, I suspect they might bump up the prices for Swan Lake still further - it's one of the few things which is virtually guaranteed to sell out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 1 hour ago, JNC said: The only thing I can think of is that perhaps they don't want to do a standby for an opening night? But I really don't understand why, if anything it should be the opposite - critics come to opening nights and a half full auditorium won't necessarily look good (though of course shouldn't affect the review/quality of the performance). But an auditorium half full of young people looks good, or at least better than half empty surely? I don't know why they haven't gone to standby either (though my best guess would they're saving it for performances that need it more) but critics aren't fooled by papered houses - and a younger-than-normal audience, particularly in the expensive seats, is a dead giveaway in repertoire such as Manon. I'd also suggest that empty seats further back than about mid-amphi are less discernable to other parts of the auditorium, especially with the lights down - that most of the unsold amphi seats are there may be a factor in the decision. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninamargaret Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 I don't think ticket prices are the whole problem For most performances it seems that it is the cheaper seats that are unsold, whereas more expensive ones aren't too bad. Is it lack of interest, reputation of the ROH as being super expensive, horrendous cost of drinks and snacks once you're inside, poor marketing, an idea that tickets are hard to get or a bit of all these? I think Marketing is making too much of selling performances as an 'experience ' , a bit like Talk of the Town for those old enough to remember it! Very disappointed that so many people are missing out on enjoying something that I have loved for many years. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 I think the ticket price question is complicated. From my non-exhaustive sampling of amphi sales, the £18 tickets have sold very well, but the £25, £30 and £37 seats much less so. I don't know what these last would have cost last time round, but my £18 ticket would have been only £11 in 2017, and I don't think it's unreasonable to guess at a similar price hike for the other bands. So it may be that regulars who often inhabit these seats are dropping a rung or two in order to pay the same amount, or are simply going to fewer performances. What might give a glimmer of grim satisfaction about this, is that if we think back to the notorious Lucy Sinclair quotes, regulars going less frequently was exactly what she was supposedly trying to achieve - only the flood of people taking their place doesn't seem to have materialised. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 That does seem very poor for an opening night what a shame. It's often a full Amphi which creates the buzzy atmosphere in the auditorium which is what you want for an opening. A pity somebody didn't get offered these seats. I think because generally now seats with poor views are being sold at much higher prices some people are just going less but paying more for a good view. This has influenced my behaviour in this Autumn season at any rate and will do by the looks of it in the Winter season too. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 23 minutes ago, LinMM said: I think because generally now seats with poor views are being sold at much higher prices some people are just going less but paying more for a good view. This has influenced my behaviour in this Autumn season at any rate and will do by the looks of it in the Winter season too. In 15 years of operagoing I've only once sat in the stalls, when there was a ticket offer, because the seats are for more productions significantly more expensive than the side stalls circle. However I've booked several outer edge stalls tickets for ballet last/this season because the price differential is much lower, especially as the side stalls circle gets ever more expensive. If I'm going to be paying nearly £100 for a seat for Sleeping Beauty or Swan Lake then I'd rather pay that for the front row of the stalls than for the side stalls circle. Unfortunately for my bank account the going less bit isn't happening though... During yesterday's pre-rehearsal appeal to the audience to leave money to the ROH in their wills I was thinking that I won't have any money to leave because it'll have all gone to the ROH in my lifetime with buying tickets! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebird Posted October 3, 2019 Share Posted October 3, 2019 (edited) 18 hours ago, Lizbie1 said: I think the ticket price question is complicated. From my non-exhaustive sampling of amphi sales, the £18 tickets have sold very well, but the £25, £30 and £37 seats much less so. I don't know what these last would have cost last time round, but my £18 ticket would have been only £11 in 2017, and I don't think it's unreasonable to guess at a similar price hike for the other bands. Out of interest, do you mind if I ask where you were sitting for £11 in 2017? The current £18 Manon tickets cover the amphitheatre areas that I've always sat in. Before the recent increase in prices, seats in these areas had, for some years, been priced at £15, £16 or £17 for full length evening ballets . Are you maybe talking about the late lamented cheaper matinée tickets? Edited October 3, 2019 by Bluebird Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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