RB 2020/21

[Dawnstar]

I'm pretty sure the ROH is a member of SOLT & they announced on Monday that all their theatres will now be closed until at least 31st May. Hopefully the ROH is in the process of updating their website accordingly.

[Guest oncnp]

7 minutes ago, Rob S said:

 

Bit weird, they reinstated info about productions and dates sometime last week after removing virtually everything. I don't see anything going ahead for the rest of the season though

At least 2 weeks ago. I noticed it on 3/26...….very wierd

[bangorballetboy]

1 minute ago, Dawnstar said:

I'm pretty sure the ROH is a member of SOLT & they announced on Monday that all their theatres will now be closed until at least 31st May. Hopefully the ROH is in the process of updating their website accordingly.

 

So far as I know, the website and booking system are interconnected so they need to keep the shows listed until all refunds/credits/donations have been processed for cancelled shows.  I assume this is why some of the early cancelled events were listed but included a message that the show was cancelled.

[Jan McNulty]

2 hours ago, alison said:

 

They were supposed to be appearing at the ROH?  Have I missed something, or is that why you posted in the RB thread?

 

I saw this yesterday.  I took it that it is NBoC (who were due at ROH this summer) who have cancelled SFB's appearance in Toronto - not that SFB were also due in London.

[alison]

Glad I'm not the only one who finds it unclear!

[Bruce Wall]

28 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

I saw this yesterday.  I took it that it is NBoC (who were due at ROH this summer) who have cancelled SFB's appearance in Toronto - not that SFB were also due in London.

 

I read it as the SFB was cancelling their appearance in Toronto in November (as the title says) and 'postponing' a planned ROH appearance in 2020/21 - but I may have mis-read it.   

 

Edited April 9, 2020 by Bruce Wall

[bangorballetboy]

1 hour ago, Bruce Wall said:

 

I read it as the SFB was cancelling their appearance in Toronto in November (as the title says) and 'postponing' a planned ROH appearance in 2020/21 - but I may have mis-read it.   

 

 

"“These unprecedented circumstances have required us to make changes to the 2020/21 season including the postponement of the company’s appearance at the Royal Opera House in London, the world premiere of Wayne McGregor’s MADDADDAM, the North American premiere of Cathy Marston’s Victoria and the guest appearance by San Francisco Ballet,” the NBC stated today in their press release." [my emphasis]

[Guest oncnp]

From the ROH just now...

 

"As a valued Friend and supporter, we wanted you to be amongst the first to know that, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Royal Opera House is now closed for the foreseeable future."

 

and it appears they read the comments because a partial donation is now an option and the form only requires email, name and booking reference. 

Edited April 9, 2020 by oncnp

[Lizbie1]

19 minutes ago, oncnp said:

"As a valued Friend and supporter, we wanted you to be amongst the first to know that, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Royal Opera House is now closed for the foreseeable future."

 

I know they go on to say that people with tickets for cancelled performances will be contacted directly (WHEN?), but "for the foreseeable future" is about the least helpful form of words they could have thrown at us. The lifespan of the "foreseeable future" currently stands at about 24 hours!

 

[Beryl H]

I've received this E-mail, agree that it would have been much clearer to have said all performances for the current Season cancelled, but this is what I take it to be.

[bangorballetboy]

Agree it's not the most helpful email.  I think you should take it to mean that the rest of the ballet and Linbury seasons are cancelled but not necessarily all of the opera season (this is based on information provided to benefactors). 

[MJW]

44 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

I know they go on to say that people with tickets for cancelled performances will be contacted directly (WHEN?), but "for the foreseeable future" is about the least helpful form of words they could have thrown at us. The lifespan of the "foreseeable future" currently stands at about 24 hours!

 

 

I've just had two emails from ROH, the first confirming cancellations for the foreseeable future and the second (just received) asking me how I wish to deal with refund/donation etc so hopefully everyone will be notified soon. 

[Lizbie1]

Just had my cancellation email, which says to check the website, which leads here:

 

https://www.roh.org.uk/about/cancellations

 

(Not sure why they couldn't have listed these or linked to this page in the first place!)

Edited April 9, 2020 by Lizbie1
Clarifying

[Guest oncnp]

2 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

Just had my cancellation email, which says to check the website, which leads here:

 

https://www.roh.org.uk/about/cancellations

 

(Not sure why they couldn't have listed these or linked to this page in the first place!)

 

Spoke too soon.....the initial e-mail thanking me for being a Friend and my support had a link to a simplified form but the actual refund form from the cancellation e-mail isn't any simpler. 

 

Funny how they managed to find my email now they need money but couldn't find it to let me know about the Onegin cast change....

[onemouseplace]

My Friends + ,membership lapsed a grand total of 9 days ago, yet they've managed to remove me from the Friends mailing list already which has amused me (I would have happily renewed my Friends membership if there had been any mention made of extending it by the amount the ROH is going to be closed.  The V&A did the same to me out of interest).

 

I'm pleased there is an option to donate part of the ticket price now.  I suspect I wasn't the only person to suggest this.  I also note that credits are now valid for performances up to 31 August 2021.

 

These are tehe productions cancelled from the ROH website.  So not the total rest of the season - I have tickets to Tosca in early July for example.:

 

Live Fire Exercise / Prodigal Son / Corybantic Games

Cavalleria rusticana / Pagliacci

Swan Lake

Tristan und Isolde

The Dante Project

La bohème

Heritage

Spring Gala

Elektra

Tombeaux / Monotones I and II / Symphonic Dances

The Turn of the Screw

Lucia di Lammermoor

Next Generation Festival

She Described it to Death

WNO: The Nightingale / Bluebeard's Castle

 

 

Edited April 9, 2020 by onemouseplace

[jmhopton]

I've had my email about the cancellations but having just followed the link the options still didn't allow me to carry out what I wanted. I wanted to donate one of my Swan lake tickets and have the other credited to future performances. But if you want to do a partial donation there is no option for a credit note with the rest (or not if it's on the same order No.). You just get the rest refunded back to your account. OK for me but I would rather have had the remainder at least stay in the ROH and earned a bit of interest for them and not so much capital outlay for me when we can book again. I was able to donate my Thurrock tour cost (disappointing to miss this as I'm not often in London on Friday mornings and this was arranged for the day after stopping over for the RB triple bill and BRB at Sadlers Wells) and got the reply thanking me for donating. Now I just need to cancel the hotel. One disappointment after the other. Just hope now all this is sorted we can soon hear plans for next season. I know it will have needed a lot of tweaking to accommodate performances we've lost this season but we all need something to look forward to and a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.

[bridiem]

9 minutes ago, jmhopton said:

I've had my email about the cancellations but having just followed the link the options still didn't allow me to carry out what I wanted. I wanted to donate one of my Swan lake tickets and have the other credited to future performances. But if you want to do a partial donation there is no option for a credit note with the rest (or not if it's on the same order No.). You just get the rest refunded back to your account. OK for me but I would rather have had the remainder at least stay in the ROH and earned a bit of interest for them and not so much capital outlay for me when we can book again. I was able to donate my Thurrock tour cost (disappointing to miss this as I'm not often in London on Friday mornings and this was arranged for the day after stopping over for the RB triple bill and BRB at Sadlers Wells) and got the reply thanking me for donating. Now I just need to cancel the hotel. One disappointment after the other. Just hope now all this is sorted we can soon hear plans for next season. I know it will have needed a lot of tweaking to accommodate performances we've lost this season but we all need something to look forward to and a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.

 

I wonder if it would have been possible to deal with the same order number in 2 separate submissions, entering 1 ticket as a donation and then doing again for 1 ticket under the same order number as a credit? It doesn't actually say that you have to include all the tickets on an order number in one submission. Just a thought, in case anyone else has the same issue.

 

I hope you can get a refund from the hotel, jmhopton. And yes, it will be wonderful to look forward to the resumption of performances in due course; I think I will appreciate them even more now than I have in the past.

 

 

[jmhopton]

13 minutes ago, bridiem said:

 

I wonder if it would have been possible to deal with the same order number in 2 separate submissions, entering 1 ticket as a donation and then doing again for 1 ticket under the same order number as a credit? It doesn't actually say that you have to include all the tickets on an order number in one submission. Just a thought, in case anyone else has the same issue.

 

I hope you can get a refund from the hotel, jmhopton. And yes, it will be wonderful to look forward to the resumption of performances in due course; I think I will appreciate them even more now than I have in the past.

 

 

This time it actually says at the bottom of the page that all other monies for that order will be refunded. I did consider filling in another form and asking for a credit note for the second ticket but thought that might confuse things. I suppose you could fill in two forms and specify dates and seats on each form if there is room. Ironically the previous refund situation did seem to allow you more flexibility per ticket even within the same order no. Though it could be more time consuming and no option for a partial donation. Perhaps they will get it right third time if the July operas and RB school show have to be cancelled 

[AnneMarriott]

Another solution is to ask for a refund or credit for all tickets and then do a separate donation.  That's what I've decided to do because the system seems even more complicated this time.

[jmhopton]

51 minutes ago, AnneMarriott said:

Another solution is to ask for a refund or credit for all tickets and then do a separate donation.  That's what I've decided to do because the system seems even more complicated this time.

Yes that seems a good idea. Why didn't I think of that? 

[capybara]

57 minutes ago, AnneMarriott said:

Another solution is to ask for a refund or credit for all tickets and then do a separate donation.  

 

I have decided to do that too. I will donate but my 'offerings' will be influenced in part by how the various companies I support are responding to the 'lockdown'. So far, the ROH/RB is not appearing to be as fleet of foot as, say, ENB and BRB. I know that it's difficult when a company is part of a monolith but the RB, as distinct from its amazing individual dancers, has disappeared from view when it should be seizing the moment.

[AnneMarriott]

1 hour ago, jmhopton said:

Yes that seems a good idea. Why didn't I think of that? 

 

😀

[Richard LH]

2 hours ago, capybara said:

 

I have decided to do that too. I will donate but my 'offerings' will be influenced in part by how the various companies I support are responding to the 'lockdown'. So far, the ROH/RB is not appearing to be as fleet of foot as, say, ENB and BRB. I know that it's difficult when a company is part of a monolith but the RB, as distinct from its amazing individual dancers, has disappeared from view when it should be seizing the moment.

 

I agree the RB has been rather lame in this regard so far, but  I would not wish to see them lose out on donations just for that reason!  Personally I love the RB  performances, and their dancers, so much that I have decided to let them keep a good chunk (probably about half) of what I would be owed in refunds for the remainder of the season. I hope they get enough donations, one way or another, to come back reasonably strongly when they re-open. 

[MAX]

May I ask what you would like them (RB) to do ?

 

Most of the things proposed elsewhere is just communication, nothing to see with art (to my humble opinion)...

 

[alison]

I didn't see any indication of a Gift Aid possibility when I tried donating a very inexpensive ticket just to see how it worked.  So refund and then donate, claiming Gift Aid, was my solution, although it's a bit messy.

 

With regard to the RB/ROH being a bit on the back foot with regard to putting on things, we of course have no idea of what their staffing, access and maybe legal requirements are to make things happen, I suppose.  Perhaps it isn't as easy as we think?

[MJW]

1 hour ago, alison said:

I didn't see any indication of a Gift Aid possibility when I tried donating a very inexpensive ticket just to see how it worked.  So refund and then donate, claiming Gift Aid, was my solution, although it's a bit messy.

 

With regard to the RB/ROH being a bit on the back foot with regard to putting on things, we of course have no idea of what their staffing, access and maybe legal requirements are to make things happen, I suppose.  Perhaps it isn't as easy as we think?

 

The GiftAid option is just to the left of the "send message" red button

[Guest oncnp]

'Apologies if posted elsewhere (and I hope the link works).  Suspect the ROH will face similar issues

 

Bolshoi Theatre’s General Director, Vladimir Urin, talked about the impending challenges for not only his theatre but theatres the world over.

 

https://www.gramilano.com/2020/04/the-bolshoi-theatres-director-on-the-current-closure-and-the-worrying-task-of-reopening/

 

 

[Guest]

You could view the response of the RB and other companies in so many different ways. 

Is it right, for example, that a publicly funded company should suddenly be offering free classes online when there are so many teachers out there who will be struggling at the moment?

Perhaps we should take this as a moment to sit back, reflect, trawl through our books/dvds/collections /memories and engage ourselves rather than constantly 'be engaged.' 

I am very happy to patiently wait to see the RB again, when the time is right. 

 

 

[Guest]

Sorry, should have written ' being engaged',

[bridiem]

11 hours ago, Darlex said:

You could view the response of the RB and other companies in so many different ways. 

Is it right, for example, that a publicly funded company should suddenly be offering free classes online when there are so many teachers out there who will be struggling at the moment?

Perhaps we should take this as a moment to sit back, reflect, trawl through our books/dvds/collections /memories and engage ourselves rather than constantly 'be engaged.' 

I am very happy to patiently wait to see the RB again, when the time is right. 

 

I know what you mean, Darlex. Personally I seem to spend most of my time at the moment on my laptop, 'engaging' in one way or another with other people or organisations (far more than I normally do in fact!! Even if all online rather than in person). So it's quite a relief when I just watch a TV programme or read a book. There's a bit of an online frenzy at the moment which has negatives as well as positives.

[capybara]

19 hours ago, MAX said:

May I ask what you would like them (RB) to do

 

OK, here goes off the top of my head:

• let the public in on one of the classes they relay to the RB dancers.
• produce at least one clip per week of the kind that they have now done with Marianela Nunez (i.e. Principal dancers picking and showing us their favourite roles)
• relaying at least one ballet
• making a compendium of "what dancers are doing" and put the collection out there periodically (engage the dancers in the endeavour)
• put the spotlight on the corps members in some way - mini-features, perhaps: "Get to know the Corps" [An opportunity waiting to be seized!]
• telling us what the ROH/RB is doing for the dancers (classes? fitness sessions? pilates sessions? psychologist on call? dance mats? dietary advice? phone calls?- we know some of this from individual posts and interviews, but not officially)
• share how the RB management is adjusting its plans for next season  (not programme details but the kinds of considerations which are coming into play in addition to the usual ones concerning the rep.)
• say how donations will be used specifically for the RB as distinct from the ROH overall (possibly an input from Kevin O'Hare here -- he has been invisible thus far)
• get items from among those listed above onto the ROH website, not just on social media or youtube etc.
• set up a proper comments facility on the ROH website related to the above

[I could go on and I'm sure everyone on here will have ideas too..........]

 

In other words - use news items in combination with dance to demonstrate to the audience that the RB is still there as a COMPANY WITH A VALUED AUDIENCE  and, of course, provide links for donations along the way.

 

 

 

Edited April 11, 2020 by capybara

[Lizbie1]

I'm obviously easily persuaded because I agree with both Darlex and Capybara! I'd be unlikely to consume much of what the RB isn't putting out (as it were!) but considering the ROH's resources it seems a pretty lame effort so far - though I wonder whether a lot of their rather large marketing team have been furloughed.

 

I very much like Darlex's point about the RB potentially providing unfair competition to teachers, but I'm not sure this is what's holding them back - inertia seems more likely to me, and that is what grates.

[MAX]

Capybara,  😀

 

You are just a member of the audience....  

 

Reading your list looks like you want to be in the company or that you usually feel like you are part of the company.

 

Classes are for dancers not for the audience, do you want to be part of internal meetings as well ?

 

The Royal Ballet's mission is to present shows in its theater, all you mention there is pure communication derived from our time.

 

Maybe we could accept that the House is going to be closed until at least next Autumn ?