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The Royal Ballet’s Spring and Summer programmes 2021


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https://www.roh.org.uk/news/royal-opera-house-to-open-its-doors-to-audiences-for-first-time-since-november

 

Today the Royal Opera House is excited to announce that it will once again open its doors to audiences on 17 May 2021, with a packed schedule of in-person performances from both The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera, brand new work available to stream online, and the world’s first opera in hyper-reality.

This suite of activity will take place on our beautiful and historic Main Stage, in our state-of-the-art Linbury Theatre, or streamed online as part of our hugely popular #OurHouseToYourHouse programme. More details, including casting and booking dates, will be announced on 13 April 2021.

The Royal Ballet is thrilled to return to live performances with three programmes of works ranging from Crystal Pite to Marius Petipa. Opening in May with a programme of 21st Century works, including Christopher Wheeldon’s shimmering ballet Within the Golden Hour and two works new to The Royal Ballet by Crystal Pite. Pite’s extraordinary ability to speak meaningfully about the human condition through dance was captured in The Royal Ballet’s 2017 Olivier-award-winning commission Flight Pattern, and the opportunity for audiences and performers to engage with her work again comes at no better time after this enforced period of absence from the stage. The Company also presents a series of digital content, including Meet the Young Dancers on 19 Marcha streamed Insight event introducing this Season’s Aud Jebsen Young Dancers and the 2020/21 Prix de Lausanne Dancer. Rising choreographic talent will also be featured with an online premiere in early May of Draft Works, The Royal Ballet’s showcase of new ideas and creativity in dance from within the Company.

The Royal Opera will bring together an international group of distinguished singers to perform Mozart’s opera seria, La clemenza di Tito, in a new production directed by Richard Jones, beautifully designed by Olivier-award winning Ultz to meet the requirements of staging a show in the current public health environment, and performed under the baton of conductor Mark Wigglesworth.

Alex Beard, Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House, said:

“It is incredibly exciting that we will soon be opening our doors and welcoming audiences back to our beautiful Covent Garden home. We can’t wait to bring life back to our stages and the joy of live performance back to our audiences, and I am delighted that we can go back to doing what we do best: performing the world’s best ballet and opera to audiences at home and around the globe.”

The ROH also announces the re-opening of the world’s first opera in hyper reality: Current, Rising, a unique collaboration between the Royal Opera House’s innovation programme, Audience Labs, award-winning Figment Productions and Royal Holloway, University of London. Developed by a female-led creative team, the 15-minute hyper-reality opera experience combines virtual reality with a multisensory set, inviting audiences to step into a bespoke ‘Opera Tardis’ and experience a dream-like journey carried musically by a poem layered in song.

Before booking opens for these exciting works on 13 April, The Royal Opera is delighted to reveal that on Friday 9 April it will be live streaming its first fully staged production since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic with a brand-new double bill of Bertolt Brecht’s and Kurt Weill’s, The Seven Deadly Sins and Mahagonny Songspiel. Directed by British director Isabelle Kettle, soloists of the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme will perform Weill’s satirical double-bill under the baton of British-Cypriot conductor Michael Papadopoulos and with choreography from Julia Cheng. This production will be available to online audiences only.

We look forward to announcing more details, including casting and booking dates, for La clemenza de Tito; Current, Rising and The Royal Ballet’s Spring and Summer mixed programmes on 13 April. For both La clemenza de Tito and The Royal Ballet’s mixed programmes, audiences will be able to buy tickets for a socially-distanced live experience, or buy an online ticket to watch online wherever they are in the world.  More details on The Royal Opera’s The Seven Deadly Sins and Mahagonny Songspiel double bill will be announced on 29 March.

Edited by Richard LH
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Booking for Friends+ is 2pm on Weds 5th May. 

 

I don't know if booking therefore opens before the Government will confirm whether May 17th openings will go ahead? I seemed to recall reading somewhere that they will only give a week's notice but I may be wrong.

 

 

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audiences will be able to buy tickets for a socially-distanced live experience, or buy an online ticket to watch online wherever they are in the world.

 

This sounds hopeful that they will still stream some shows.  For me that will be good as I won't need to go to the expense of travelling to London, I know it won't be quite the same as IRL but I'm not sure I am ready for that just yet and won't have had my 2nd vaccine until June anyway.  I am content to leave IRL for a while longer if streams are still available.

 

 

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30 minutes ago, capybara said:

So glad they will be back, and I understand the constraints, but the programming doesn’t fit the moment for me.

I don't think most of the ballet programming has been announced has it?

 

Really exciting news but sounds like a long wait (5 weeks?) to find out what will be in the second and third programmes! I guess it builds excitement though! (Presumably in practice they're still finalising details...) I'm glad to see there will be streaming too! Although hope to be able to get to London for some in person as well 🙂

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32 minutes ago, capybara said:

So glad they will be back, and I understand the constraints, but the programming doesn’t fit the moment for me.

 

I think programs 2 & 3 won't be announced until next month? 

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1 hour ago, oncnp said:

 

I think programs 2 & 3 won't be announced until next month? 

 

Yes, I understand that but they have had a lot of time to think about, and prepare for, this announcement and it might have been a good idea to do a big splurge with details of all three programmes to add spice for ballet lovers.

 

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58 minutes ago, capybara said:

 

Yes, I understand that but they have had a lot of time to think about, and prepare for, this announcement and it might have been a good idea to do a big splurge with details of all three programmes to add spice for ballet lovers.

 

 

Not quite sure I need any more spice than to be back seeing live performance!

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As I won't have been vaccinated when the ROH re-opens, and so won't be able to attend, I'm very pleased to see they'll be starting with Within The Golden Hour and two Pite works: I was lukewarm about the former and, after spending one of the longest half an hours I've ever spent in a theatre suffering Flight Pattern, have no desire to ever again see anything by Pite!

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13 hours ago, capybara said:

 

Yes, I understand that but they have had a lot of time to think about, and prepare for, this announcement and it might have been a good idea to do a big splurge with details of all three programmes to add spice for ballet lovers.

 

I agree, I felt rather disappointed with the limited details so far, and that the first programme was WTGH (I like it, but again?) and two new works by Pite !

Edited by Richard LH
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1 hour ago, Richard LH said:

I agree, I felt rather disappointed with the limited details so far, and that the first programme was WTGH (I like it, but again?) and two new works by Pite !

 

At least it's not more Elite Syncopations they've revealed first

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I love WTGH but have seen it quite a few times; I admire Flight Pattern rather than being moved by it, so as I haven’t even had my first dose of vaccine yet, I won’t risk travelling to the ROH for now.  Horses for courses though, and I’m delighted for those who can and will go to the live performances.

 

I await programmes 2 and 3 with interest.

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I wonder if this factored into the decision - to save the Petipa until more people are comfortable attending in person and restrictions have hopefully eased further.

 

Personally I've really enjoyed seeing recordings / streams of WTGH and Crystal Pite's work but never seen either in person so the programming works for me. Plus after a year following many of the Royal Ballet dancers through these difficult circumstances on social media etc, with just a few chances to perform in autumn and early December, it'll be wonderful to see them do anything on stage 🙂

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Whilst I am delighted that the ROH is opening again, it's sad that they can only accommodate 840 people.  That is less than half capacity.  I like WTGH but am disappointed that they are wheeling it out yet again. It is fast becoming my dance version of House of the Rising Sun:  very nice the first 500 times, and after that familiarity breeds contempt!   I do understand that they are limited with what they can present, and that the dancers know it very well so it reduces the need for lots of rehearsal.  Not sure about two Pites on the same bill.  So I guess I will wait for news about the following programmes...whereas I just can't wait to see the RB live again, I need to think about what I can spend my money on.  Having said all this, I will probably go anyway if I can get tickets just to ensure that I see as much live ballet as possible before the end of a season that never began.  

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Not only that, but (prompted by Beatriz Stix-Brunell on the Ballet Assocation last night) it may well take time for the dancers to get up to the performance level necessary to do Swan Lake (or Beauty, if it turns out to be that.  I'm assuming it's a full-length Petipa).

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4 minutes ago, Sim said:

Whilst I am delighted that the ROH is opening again, it's sad that they can only accommodate 840 people.  That is less than half capacity.

 

Alex Beard said last night that they have to leave a clearance of at least 1 metre nose-to-nose.  I think that will mean leaving two seats clear to the side of each party.

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35 minutes ago, alison said:

 

Alex Beard said last night that they have to leave a clearance of at least 1 metre nose-to-nose.  I think that will mean leaving two seats clear to the side of each party.


The 1 metre gap also implies no one directly in front or behind.   Which will make for an excellent view ....   with masks, social distance and 1st vaccine done ... I’ll be going for sure!   

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Yes I understand all that and I guess it will be similar to when we saw Nut in December.  It's just so sad that more than a year later they are still having to do it.  Keeping everything crossed that by the time the new season starts we can go back to the ROH and all other venues as we used to, without fear of our fellow person and able to commune as normal, without having to hide the joy on our faces behind a mask.  

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6 hours ago, Richard LH said:

I agree, I felt rather disappointed with the limited details so far, and that the first programme was WTGH (I like it, but again?) and two new works by Pite !

 

I thought Flight Pattern was terrific, but I'm not sure two new works by the same person on one bill is a great idea unless they're very different from each other (which of course they may be - I'll be interested to hear what the actual works are). I wondered if it's somehow helpful in limiting the number of extra people coming in to rehearse the company? But since both works are new to company presumably that means more rehearsal overall (in quite a short period of time, really) than would have been needed for one new work and another revival. Anyway I doubt if I'll feel ready to go straight to the ROH in May anyway. Just the prospect of going to a café or someone else's house feels quite dizzying enough! But I'm sure there'll be a lot of people who will be ready, and I'm so glad that the dancers will get to perform again.

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I guess the dancers will be interested to hear, too!  I'm curious as to why Pite is doing two works: did she happen to be in the UK, or will she be choreographing via Zoom (which must be incredibly frustrating, although I know people do it)?  As you say, I suppose it does limit the number of outsiders who have to come in (maybe same designers / composers etc. as well?)

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I wonder if the Pite is not actually new choreography because the announcement says “two works new to the Royal Ballet” It would be great if they acquired the terrific Seasons Canon made for Paris Opera Ballet but I guess that is not very likely. 

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10 hours ago, annamk said:

I wonder if the Pite is not actually new choreography because the announcement says “two works new to the Royal Ballet” It would be great if they acquired the terrific Seasons Canon made for Paris Opera Ballet but I guess that is not very likely. 

 

I watched Seasons Canon online and would LOVE to see it in the flesh!

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On 10/03/2021 at 20:49, Dawnstar said:

As I won't have been vaccinated when the ROH re-opens, and so won't be able to attend, I'm very pleased to see they'll be starting with Within The Golden Hour and two Pite works: I was lukewarm about the former and, after spending one of the longest half an hours I've ever spent in a theatre suffering Flight Pattern, have no desire to ever again see anything by Pite!

 

Thanks Dawnstar for saying what I thought but couldn't quite bring myself to say! We obviously think along similar lines. I'm dying to get back to the ROH but wouldn't risk a 200 mile train journey and an overnight stay to see Within the Golden Hour. Frankly, I'm not sure if I'd walk down the road to see it having seen it at the cinema and the livestream. Twice is more than enough. I can see why they're doing it as dancers won't need as much rehearsal time. Though regarding the train a friend told me someone she knew got the train from Blackpool to London and was the only person on it! I do like the idea of a socially distanced theatre though. Uninterrupted sightlines! No tall or fidgetty person just in front of you. Bliss! Also, I'm sure everyone will be so pleased at being in a theatre again they'll make just as much noise as if there were 2,000+. Will be interesting to see what the other programmes are, perhaps they'll prove more of a dilemma. I hope they stream all of them then perhaps I'll wait until autumn when I'll feel safer at travelling and not risking compromising my husband's health. I'm hoping for la Fille and/or an Ashton mixed bill and I'm sure Swan Lake will feature.

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2 hours ago, jmhopton said:

I hope they stream all of them then perhaps I'll wait until autumn when I'll feel safer at travelling and not risking compromising my husband's health. I'm hoping for la Fille and/or an Ashton mixed bill and I'm sure Swan Lake will feature.

 

If they do Swan Lake before I've been vaccinated then I'll be very torn on whether or not to risk it & go. (Not saying the ROH will be unsafe but I can only get to London by train so it's the travelling I'd be more worried about than the theatre.) I've somehow never managed to see Swan Lake live & was supposed to finally do so in March 2020 if covid hadn't intervened.

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We had a retail circular at work (at a train operating company) today to say that with trains being used for non essential travel soon a reservation system will be in operation to restrict passenger numbers, with reservations ‘strongly advised’ on all First services and Crosscountry Trains otherwise carriage on a particular train can’t be assumed. This even applies to off duty staff using their privilege passes ie me. This may help with your concerns 

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