Royal Ballet - The Nutcracker, 2020

[MJW]

1 hour ago, Blossom said:

 

Starting to wonder how they can possibly allow the Christmas grace period - it's only going to make matters worse than they are now.

 

Agree that to some extent theatres should be given some grace. Can't speak for the Coliseum, but generally feel very safe at the ROH with the majority of people complying properly i.e. mask over mouth AND nose - uncomfortable for all of us especially glasses wearers, but for the greater good. On that note, felt compelled to report a local shop today for complete disregard of mask wearing rules.

 

To quote James Kirkup in the Spectator [re the easing of restrictions next week even in Tier 3 areas] "The sheer inconsistency and gaping lack of logic borders on black comedy."

[Silke H]

ROH website for Nutcracker tickets now states:

"Due to London's move to Tier 3, it is with sadness that we must cancel the scheduled performances of The Nutcracker from 16–24 December for live audiences. We are pleased to livestream a performance on Tuesday 22 December."

[Blossom]

7 minutes ago, Silke H said:

ROH website for Nutcracker tickets now states:

"Due to London's move to Tier 3, it is with sadness that we must cancel the scheduled performances of The Nutcracker from 16–24 December for live audiences. We are pleased to livestream a performance on Tuesday 22 December."

Devastated for the dancers but very grateful to have booked tickets for tomorrow night. I'd originally planned for 16th but was finding it harder to find the seats I wanted.

[Ivy Lin]

Here in the U.S. the virus is ripping through every single state and yet I know people whose family members DIED of the virus who refuse to wear masks, watch their hands, or stop crowding into restaurants and bars. It's madness. The lockdowns are basically for people who can't follow the rules  

[Peony]

We’ve sent all the kids back to school with no extra money for cleaning or soap and no social distancing. Now 1 in 50 of the pupils in secondary schools have covid. So we can’t really blame our problems just on people not following the rules!

[Guest oncnp]

Things found while looking for other things.....

 

Interesting Twitter exchange between @GWDanceWriter (arguing for closure) and various ballet folks (arguing against)

 

https://twitter.com/GWDanceWriter

 

Edited December 14, 2020 by oncnp

[LinMM]

Absolutely agree Peony. 

[Shirley]

3 hours ago, Peony said:

We’ve sent all the kids back to school with no extra money for cleaning or soap and no social distancing. Now 1 in 50 of the pupils in secondary schools have covid. So we can’t really blame our problems just on people not following the rules!

As someone whose partner is a school caretaker that is certainly not true where he works. They have installed washing stations outside buildings, dispensers everywhere and social distancing is adhered to in school.

 

On the way to and going home from school is a completely different matter for so many of the students though where the idea of social distancing completely disappears 😉

[Peony]

They’re sitting shoulder to shoulder in all our local (state) schools around here because they don’t fit in any other way. Unfortunately no distancing whatsoever. They are separate from other year groups but the year group ‘bubble’ of 200 don’t and can’t distance, it’s a joke when you compare it to the rules about space in my workplace. They have extra sinks but we’’re on the second whip round for soap and gel supplies as they weren’t given any extra funding for supplies. It’s all very frustrating as it’s driving the infection rate up and then we have to close our theatres and businesses again!

[zxDaveM]

7 hours ago, Rob S said:

Just seen shops will remain open, so the pics of very busy Oxford/Regent Street can continue

 

otherwise known as super-spreader events

 

[LinMM]

Also hasn’t there been mass testing of students going on before they go home for Christmas and some of those numbers coming through now probably lots of positive cases but many asymptomatic ones. It won’t account for all the new numbers that is because very recently people have been going out shopping more. For the first time for ages here in Brighton there have been queues outside shops in town and although I’m not personally worried about just passing people briefly in the street there is definitely less social distancing generally as a few months ago people made more effort to avoid getting too close but that’s gone now. 
Im sure schools do vary but many are already pretty full when all the students are actually there it is just not possible to keep up 2 metre distancing in many schools. 
 

[Fonty]

A friend of mine is a teaching assistant, and she said they adhered to the social distancing rules by splitting the classes in two, and having half in the morning and the other half in the afternoon.  This is combined with more class material being put on line.  They also have a window open in every classroom (even in December) and did have all the corridor doors open as well until the fire brigade told them that these were fire doors and should not be propped open. Everyone sits in the classroom in coats, scarves, and  hats.  Children are escorted to the toilets on a regular basis and thorough hand washing is supervised while social distancing is being observed.  

 

In short, the head teacher is doing everything they possibly can to enable primary school children to attend while ensuring the safety of everyone.  However, if other schools are not doing the same, then it might be a pointless exercise.  Of course, whether you could split classes for secondary schools is another matter.    

[Peony]

Yes, they do have all the doors and windows open all the time at ours too. It’s interesting To hear that they’ve split the class as I thought they were required to have everyone in all the time now (unless they have covid or sit within 2 metres of someone with covid) and that DfE were following up with threats of legal action.  It’s the secondary that’s the problem really, with different subject options and different sets they have to mix a lot. Not criticising head teachers at all, I thought their hands had been tied, Greenwich are now having to open fully this week because of the threat of legal action. 

[Blossom]

Graham Watts may well have the right idea.

Theatres are only as safe as their patrons make it. Last night in stalls circle, there was a man who effectively refused to cover nose and mouth, preferring to wear his mask on his chin. He was told a number of times by the usher to mask up but still thought he was being clever by whipppng it down to his chin again once the lights went down. Still probably safer than crowded shopping streets but very frustrating. 

[zxDaveM]

3 minutes ago, Blossom said:

 

Theatres are only as safe as their patrons make it. Last night in stalls circle, there was a man who effectively refused to cover nose and mouth, preferring to wear his mask on his chin.

 

What is it with people like that! You see them in the supermarkets and on the trains, and most other places where people congregate; and people wonder why the infection rates shooting up. Its a shame there is no one around that can slap an immediate fine on them! Most people ARE making the effort to keep others safe (in my area in the Amphi last night, I didn't see anyone not wearing their mask properly). On TV, the somewhat sparse crowds at the racecourses, have all been in their own small groups or as individuals, beautifully spread out in the vast looking stands - and still masked up! After all, its not yourself you're protecting for the most part (though it does help a little) its others around you, should you not know that you're infected and are asymptomatically spreading the disease - so being macho and individualistic 'braving' the risk of getting covid is really just selfish stupidity

Rant over...

[Guest oncnp]

15 minutes ago, Blossom said:

 He was told a number of times by the usher to mask up but still thought he was being clever by whipppng it down to his chin again once the lights went down.

 

There's the problem...should be one warning and you're out. It should be made a condition of the ticket.  As @zxDaveM said above it's other people you're protecting. 

[capybara]

But when people are being allowed to de-mask to eat their ice creams .........Difficult!😷

[Guest oncnp]

12 minutes ago, capybara said:

But when people are being allowed to de-mask to eat their ice creams .........Difficult!😷

 

@Blossom's offender doesn't sound as if he was eating multiple ice creams, simply being a …..you can fill in the rest. 

 

If its an issue perhaps the ROH could just stop selling ice creams.  'Can't be much profit in it and if it is being allowed in the auditorium creating a mess.  Moot point anyway since the Nutcracker is likely finished. Hope they get Tosca in next month. 

[alison]

2 hours ago, capybara said:

But when people are being allowed to de-mask to eat their ice creams .........Difficult!😷

 

Especially if eating is an official exemption, which it is.  I'll admit that I did take advantage of that on a train recently, but only once I'd assured myself that there was nobody nearby, and for the minimum possible time, mid-afternoon, since I hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast.

 

Talking of trains, I was on the train the other day (sitting in the "first class" bit to try and distance myself from others) when a couple of guys came and sat in the seats across the aisle from me.  They did have masks on, but moved them off their mouths, and started talking really loudly.  I shouted at them several times to put their masks back on, but I don't think they heard me over their own voices, so I ended up having to decamp to somewhere safer  

[Blossom]

2 hours ago, capybara said:

But when people are being allowed to de-mask to eat their ice creams .........Difficult!😷

This was before the performance started and during act 1! 

[Guest oncnp]

i wonder how/if the streaming will be affected with London going into Tier 4, which the Guardian is reporting as "stay at home"?

[RHowarth]

Sounds like Tier 4 is like lockdown 2 - during which there were live streams.

[jmhopton]

6 hours ago, oncnp said:

i wonder how/if the streaming will be affected with London going into Tier 4, which the Guardian is reporting as "stay at home"?

But it says you're allowed to leave home for work if you have to and I thought that's what they would be doing, whether they're dancers, orchestra or backstage workers. It may not be possible to have even the few ROH supporters they had for the last lockdown streaming (though I hope they can manage a few). Even if it's just Kevin O'Hare and Christopher Saunders it will be better than the dead silence they had for the POB Bayadere. Fingers crossed it will go ahead, though if it doesn't I'll donate my payment to their fund. 

[Guest oncnp]

Concerning refunds for canceled performances....this is on the ROH website this AM

 

In January, Box Office will be contacting individuals who have already bought theatre tickets about how they can receive a refund or credit towards future tickets, or convert all, or part, of the value of their tickets into a donation. 

[MJW]

Such a shame but the ROH website now says that the livestream has been cancelled (apologies if posted elsewhere)

 

“Due to London's Tier 4 status, we must with sadness cancel all further performances and the live stream of The Nutcracker. Individuals who have bought access to the live stream on 22 December will be contacted and refunded”

 

 

Edited December 21, 2020 by MJW
Additional wording

[zxDaveM]

1 hour ago, MJW said:

Such a shame but the ROH website now says that the livestream has been cancelled (apologies if posted elsewhere)

 

“Due to London's Tier 4 status, we must with sadness cancel all further performances and the live stream of The Nutcracker. Individuals who have bought access to the live stream on 22 December will be contacted and refunded”

 

 

 

Bereft!

[Bruce Wall]

So sad ...

[Guest oncnp]

2 hours ago, MJW said:

Such a shame but the ROH website now says that the livestream has been cancelled (apologies if posted elsewhere)

 

“Due to London's Tier 4 status, we must with sadness cancel all further performances and the live stream of The Nutcracker. Individuals who have bought access to the live stream on 22 December will be contacted and refunded”

 

 

 

E-mail from the ROH re: refunds

 

All purchases will be automatically refunded and you will be contacted again to confirm that these have been processed

 

Perhaps an advantage of Vimeo doing the billing.

Edited December 21, 2020 by oncnp

[capybara]

So sad, for the dancers and us. The regulations for professional dancers appear no different to my eyes than those which applied during the recent lockdown. So I’m not sure I completely understand, although keeping everyone safe and well must be the uppermost consideration.
If only the RB had recorded it last week in the space created because of the cancelled shows. ( I did actually say this to someone at the time as ENB was rushing to get its show into the can - and succeeded!)

[LinMM]

Oh dear what a miserable few days we’ve all had ...so sorry the livestream has had to be cancelled but Tier 4 seems more like the original lockdown as non essential shops etc closed. (How Brighton has managed to stay in Tier 2 have no idea but probably for not much longer as numbers have now trebled here since beginning of December). 
Anyway all very disappointing for all concerned both dancers and watchers. 
Very best wishes and hugs to all those whose Christmas plans have had to be cancelled at last minute. 
With just the two of us this year it will no doubt look like a group of teenagers has decamped here by the end of Festive season 🙄 


 

[Don Q Fan]

Such a shame the live stream has been cancelled.  However, I know it's not RB, but ENB managed to record their Nutcracker Delights and will show this free from 24 December 2pm for a month as a gift to patrons in their 70th anniversary year.  Details in the Events Calendar.

[MargaretN7]

5 hours ago, zxDaveM said:

 

Bereft!

😢 Me too. Especially as I wasn't allowed to travel in to central London to see one of those few live shows. Hold on to your memories, Dave.
At least I'll have the Gala to rewatch on TV for my birthday.

[MargaretN7]

6 hours ago, MJW said:

Such a shame but the ROH website now says that the livestream has been cancelled (apologies if posted elsewhere)

 

“Due to London's Tier 4 status, we must with sadness cancel all further performances and the live stream of The Nutcracker. Individuals who have bought access to the live stream on 22 December will be contacted and refunded”

 

 

And my email says they'll be streaming, for £3, Alice in Wonderland instead.