Royal Opera House "Winter" booking period

[Timmie]

37 minutes ago, Lynette H said:

Wierdly, even though I can't sign in via Chrome, SL shows as available and you can put tickets in the basket - though if you aren't signed in, how do they know you are a Friend ?

 

Yeah, I have this too. I've bought some tickets but if I click on my name to see the tickets I've bought I get signed out... 😕. It might all end in tears (mine) 😢.

[bridiem]

I managed to book (through Chrome) in the nick of time and then literally ran out of my flat... I hope everyone else gets in soon.

[Timmie]

8 minutes ago, MiaL said:

(Stuff that didn't work: re-setting the password.)

 

Yep! Tried that a few times - I wonder what my password is now? But I can still apparently buy tickets.

[Jan McNulty]

28 minutes ago, MiaL said:

Thanks so much Nina99, same issues here and Safari worked better.  Despite being locked out etc., I finally managed to book all 3 productions I was desperate for.

 

 

Hello MiaL and welcome to the Forum!

[MiaL]

Just now, Jan McNulty said:

 

 

Hello MiaL and welcome to the Forum!

 

Thanks so much 🙂   Sorry I didn't announce myself properly!  I was too excited to post about the ROH bookings lol... Hi, nice to meet everyone 🙂   I'll go now and see if I can find a proper intro thread.

[alison]

There isn't one as such, but don't worry about it. Welcome

[RHowarth]

Hi, does anyone have a link to PDF with casting (and show times) please? 

[alison]

We should have casting in this thread, if that's of any use:

 

 

Are they still producing those PDFs?  Would be very nice to have a link to them, if so.

[RHowarth]

Thanks Alison. It's the times I'm after - just want to see when the matinees are. Not urgent as I'm not a Friend and so can't book yet - it's just that all of this talk of Swan Lake reminded me I'd better formulate my action plan! 

[alison]

Hmm, yes.  I hope they'll be at rather more standard times than we've had thus far this season!  It must be difficult for people who have to travel in long distances

[San Perregrino]

4 minutes ago, RHowarth said:

Thanks Alison. It's the times I'm after - just want to see when the matinees are. Not urgent as I'm not a Friend and so can't book yet - it's just that all of this talk of Swan Lake reminded me I'd better formulate my action plan! 

22/3 1.30pm O’Sullivan/Sambé

25/3 1.30pm Corales/Magri

 

these are the two public matinees of Swan Lake. 

[Lizbie1]

My memory has been jogged! Did anyone ever find out why there are no "public" Saturday matinees for Swan Lake? It seems quite an oversight if it was accidental.

[RHowarth]

I think the performances tend to be spaced out, too - so I don't think, for example, it's possible to do a Friday night followed by a Saturday matinee, or a Saturday matinee followed by a Saturday evening performance. I could be wrong though! 

[Lizbie1]

Yes, there are only two double days - both weekdays 😬

[RHowarth]

I'm due back at work at the end of March after maternity leave. I don't think taking annual leave during my first week back would go down too well! 

Edited November 2, 2021 by RHowarth

[Beryl H]

I got in at about 10.30am and booked without signing in on Edge, presume they picked up my name and address from the card payment because I got a confirmation E-mail!   Got 1 seat I wanted out of 3, the other 2 are middle row ones but I usually miss the last act of Swan Lake anyway. I still can't sign in properly!

[bridiem]

I can't sign in either so I can't access my account, but I somehow managed to book this morning anyway.

[JNC]

I did manage to book this morning but looks like the link is broken again. 
 

I also found the performance dates a bit inconvenient with no Saturday matinees and a big spacing. 
 

I also realised that Naghdi/Ball only have one full public performance - what I mean by this is I was intending to book for their Monday 7th performance and amphi is pretty much all I can afford. The entire amphi (not the lower/upper slips which I can afford but don’t think is worth it) is secured for young ROH! 
 

big supporter of that scheme overall but wish this had been made clear in advance to facilitate planning. 
 

I also don’t really understand why no Saturday (or Sunday?) matinees really but then some weekday matinees? 

 

nevermind I’m just glad I’ve booked some given the website issues. 

[LinMM]

Oh isn’t the 19th March matinee open to the public? 

[Guest oncnp]

16 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Oh isn’t the 19th March matinee open to the public? 

 

Only people eligible for Welcome Performances can book – find out more

 

according to the website

[LinMM]

Oh that’s a blow as that was the one I was aiming for when public booking opens. 
I think the matinee with Magri and Corrales would be my next choice if not sold out by time booking opens 😩

Do weekday matinees suit anybody but retired people like myself and still can’t get head around Saturday matinees starting at 11.30 am 🤔 a bit strange to me but obviously somebody at ROH has a plan! 

[JohnS]

I can make 11:30 Saturday matinees but am very surprised by the 27 November timings for double Giselle - 11:30am and 5:00pm. Why 5pm? Weekend travel is not great. Normally the last train on a Saturday evening is 18:30 (earlier on 27 November) and the first train to London on a Sunday doesn’t get in until 14:15.

[LinMM]

Well it seems obvious to me that weekends will be popular for people living further afield ...usually out of London so have further to travel etc. 

Probably most of the ROH staff live in London and have no idea what travelling on public transport can be like at weekends especially in winter months!! 
I suppose up until 20 years ago I was similar....lived in London and used my car to do any driving out of London at weekends. 
Week day matinees  are still a strange idea though as most people are working except ancient people like me so I don’t mind these at all but do they bring any extra money in for the ROH in difficult times? 

 

Edited November 3, 2021 by LinMM

[DanJL]

I'm possibly in the minority, but I find the occasional weekday matinée quite useful. I have to take a day's leave, but it means a relaxing journey to and from London in the same day, without getting back late or having to stay over. Weekend travel tends to be a lot busier and weekends also risk clashing with other commitments. 

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, LinMM said:

Well it seems obvious to me that weekends will be popular for people living further afield ...usually out of London so have further to travel etc. 

Probably most of the ROH staff live in London and have no idea what travelling on public transport can be like at weekends especially in winter months!! 
I suppose up until 20 years ago I was similar....lived in London and used my car to do any driving out of London at weekends. 
Week day matinees  are still a strange idea though as most people are working except ancient people like me so I don’t mind these at all but do they bring any extra money in for the ROH in difficult times? 

 

 

All the other "big" companies do midweek matinees as a matter of course.  I'm very glad that the ROH do them too.  

 

With canine responsibilities early starting matinees are either a non-starter or stay over the night before for me ... which is ludicrous!

[PaulS]

20 hours ago, prs59 said:

22/3 1.30pm O’Sullivan/Sambé

25/3 1.30pm Corales/Magri

 

these are the two public matinees of Swan Lake. 

 

Am assuming you've transposed these two casts as the website has them the other way round?

[Beryl H]

The ROH website still isn't working properly, I wanted to see my events, but of course I can't sign in to the Welcome page. I have found another quick way to book, access your basket which always seems to contain a £3 donation and your name is at the top with the option to sign out! All productions are then available to book in the usual way. 

[San Perregrino]

6 hours ago, PaulS said:

 

Am assuming you've transposed these two casts as the website has them the other way round?

 

oops, my bad. apologies

[JNC]

14 hours ago, JohnS said:

I can make 11:30 Saturday matinees but am very surprised by the 27 November timings for double Giselle - 11:30am and 5:00pm. Why 5pm? Weekend travel is not great. Normally the last train on a Saturday evening is 18:30 (earlier on 27 November) and the first train to London on a Sunday doesn’t get in until 14:15.

actually I for one love the timings of these two matinees, means you can get a train back if you’re non London based (if it starts later than 5 there is no chance if you’re further afield meaning certainly an overnight stay). 
 

11.30 starts are no problem for early risers and if it means an early finish meaning non-London people don’t have to stay overnight win-win in my book. I guess the only thing is people either have to eat dinner very early or very late (or have a very quick snack as dinner in an interval) but it also means a more child friendly performance not right in the middle of the day so a full London day out (activities in the morning then this) rather than a whole day taken up with a lunchtime start. 
 

would love to see more early performances like this on a weekend actually. 

[LinMM]

Depends exactly where you live though JNC!!
Saturdays are not too bad here as the bus service is pretty much same as weekdays but Sundays mostly a no no 😩
The first bus into Brighton from where I live ( about 4 miles out) isn’t until 9am on a Sunday! There’s no way I could get to ROH by 11.30am without a VERY expensive taxi ride!!  Then in the winter months on Sundays ( but sometimes Saturdays too) there’s nearly always a problem somewhere on the train line running into London! This all adds time onto the journey. 

However the slightly later Saturday matinee of 5pm (or anything later than 4pm in fact) is PERFECT though! As you can then do things ....as you say ....in the morning and then not be travelling back late at the end. 

I’d love a few of these slightly later matinees in the week too. Perfect while the rush hour traffic is on!! 
Very early matinees eg: anything before 12pm basically are not good in the week because of the extra rail cost to get to London if you travel before 10am. 
This extra cost doesn’t probably apply if you live far enough a way from London where you can get very good train deals for a day out! But if in the “Home Counties” area, travel before 10 on a week day is pretty extortionate ☹️

Where seats are concerned most places in the Balcony are awful especially row D lol!! 
No not really .....unless you have a pillar in the way most seats in the Balcony are very good and from Row A excellent  ( although it’s not my favourite row in the Balcony) 

Im feeling mean about recommending the Balcony because it’s my new favourite place to sit and not that many seats are left by public booking!!! 
Id recommend the first six front rows of the Amphi (if didn’t get possible vertigo these days) especially if can get an end of row seat. 
But since front Amphi has gone up so much this season I’d rather pay a little more to seat in Balcony and not have the possible vertigo problem. But means can’t go quite so often unless can get a standing ticket at last minute! 
If you don’t mind standing then Stalls Circle standing for £8-10 is VERY good value for money. 
 

[JNC]

1 hour ago, LinMM said:

Depends exactly where you live though JNC!!
Saturdays are not too bad here as the bus service is pretty much same as weekdays but Sundays mostly a no no 😩
The first bus into Brighton from where I live ( about 4 miles out) isn’t until 9am on a Sunday! There’s no way I could get to ROH by 11.30am without a VERY expensive taxi ride!!  Then in the winter months on Sundays ( but sometimes Saturdays too) there’s nearly always a problem somewhere on the train line running into London! This all adds time onto the journey. 
 

 

Ah I admit I wasn't even thinking about rural bus services! There don't tend to be that many Sunday ballet matinees though from what I can recall?

 

Anyway I guess the point is there won't necessarily be a perfect set of timings that work for all. But most major cities even quite far away up North will have trains going reasonably early on Saturday to London (bar any adverse weather or strikes!) meaning 11.30 isn't too horrendous as long as you don't mind a potentially very early start depending how far you live from the station. And if an 11.30 performance means a 5pm matinee, making potential for a double ballet day without any overnight stays I think it's perfect (subject to your casting preferences!) 

 

I hope to see a few more of these in future - sadly don't think there are any for the rest of year with the standard 1.30/7.30 or 1/7 timings, this would mean certainly an overnight stay for most people not in London and the commuter bubble around it, as by the time a performance finishes around 9.30/10 the last train would certainly have left by the time you get to whichever station - or maybe you make it just about but a very risky game to play. 

 

Given Saturdays (and Sundays) are more favourable for people who don't work in London for obvious reasons, it would be nice to have earlier evening start times at the weekends - even 6pm might be just about feasible depending but anything that after is just not doable if you're not in the SE. 

 

I'd be interested to know the reason behind the 11.30/5 timing as I don't recall seeing it before. 

 

[Jan McNulty]

Sadly, the last direct train back to Liverpool on a Saturday is 20:11 which doesn't give the opportunity to see anything much more than 2 hours long with a 5pm start.  There is a 20:31 train that takes over 4 hours and a slightly later one that takes nearly 12 hours!!!

 

Getting there for an 11:30 start would mean catching a train at 07:47 and hoping there wouldn't be any delays.  

 

I remember booking for a mixed programme starting at 12:30 a few years ago.  I particularly wanted to see (and my main reason for booking) was After the Rain, which was on first.  There was an issue on the line and even though I had allowed 2 1/2 hours to get from Euston to the theatre I arrived in time for the audience to be just coming out for the first interval meaning that I still haven't seen the full After the Rain!!  My only consolation was seeing Alex Campbell in Within the Golden Hour!!

 

It did mean that I booked a hotel for the night before a couple of weeks later and was able to see Mr Campbell making his (not originally scheduled) debut as Albrecht!

[alison]

I've moved the posts dealing primarily with seating to an existing ROH seating thread here: