The ROH booking website - what can we do?

[Rob S]

Have I missed something somewhere? I've just noticed the New Choreography dates appear to have split in to 'New Works' on the main stage at 1900 and 'Dark with excessive Bright' (which describes many of my curtain call snaps)  at 1930/2015/2100 as a 'promenade performance'. When did this appear? 

 Have I fallen foul of my 'main stage' filter on my what's on bookmark?

 

 

Edited January 10 by Rob S

[Blossom]

25 minutes ago, PeterS said:

might it be the ‘Swan Lake’ effect? the ballet everyone wants to see? 

I think so. Not a young ROH ticket left it seems so  I've told my daughter I'll take her to the Georgian Swan Lake instead (although hoping some offers might come through for it before I commit)!

Interested to see if take up is as strong tomorrow given the over-30s pricing.

[bangorballetboy]

1 hour ago, Rob S said:

Have I missed something somewhere? I've just noticed the New Choreography dates appear to have split in to 'New Works' on the main stage at 1900 and 'Dark with excessive Bright' (which describes many of my curtain call snaps)  at 1930/2015/2100 as a 'promenade performance'. When did this appear? 

 

 

 

 

I booked my tickets for DweB on 29 December so it must have been before then!

[bridiem]

2 hours ago, Rob S said:

Have I missed something somewhere? I've just noticed the New Choreography dates appear to have split in to 'New Works' on the main stage at 1900 and 'Dark with excessive Bright' (which describes many of my curtain call snaps)  at 1930/2015/2100 as a 'promenade performance'. When did this appear? 

 Have I fallen foul of my 'main stage' filter on my what's on bookmark?

 

I noticed this some time last month, I think. (I was terrified that I'd booked a 'promenade' performance by mistake!! But I seem to have booked the main stage, fortunately.)

[Rob S]

1 minute ago, bridiem said:

 

I noticed this some time last month, I think. (I was terrified that I'd booked a 'promenade' performance by mistake!! But I seem to have booked the main stage, fortunately.)

 

It's rather strange that even if this is a result of the main stage filter I use, I had the same filter when I booked as today. So they've definitely changed the way it's being displayed. Now it shows multiple performances of promenade performances at 45 mins each. Are people that are going to see the main stage expected to book the 2100 and hope the main stage performance is less than 90 minutes? 

[bangorballetboy]

16 minutes ago, Rob S said:

 

It's rather strange that even if this is a result of the main stage filter I use, I had the same filter when I booked as today. So they've definitely changed the way it's being displayed. Now it shows multiple performances of promenade performances at 45 mins each. Are people that are going to see the main stage expected to book the 2100 and hope the main stage performance is less than 90 minutes? 

 

We're going to DweB on a day different to the days we're seeing the "New Works".

[Silke H]

I just noticed a funny thing on the RB staff page.  It seems there's a position named Zenaida Yanowsky  😆

 

[Sim]

According to the ROH on Instagram today, Ed Watson has now been appointed 'Guest Repetiteur' enabling him to 'explore new creative opportunities.'

[Sim]

30 minutes ago, Silke H said:

I just noticed a funny thing on the RB staff page.  It seems there's a position named Zenaida Yanowsky  😆

 

Well, if anyone deserves it, Zen does!!  😄

[San Perregrino]

6 minutes ago, Sim said:

😄

I’m sure she’d be totally ‘Zen’ about the situation 😇

[Occasional audience member]

So as per my user name I am only able to attend occasionally. I am hoping to see Swan Lake and have been looking for tickets (I’m not a Friend so just public ones}. But I can’t make the booking site work. I click on a performance, a message pops up to tell me that, say, there are 27 seats available for that performance, so I click on the seat map and not a single available seat is showing. Is this a known problem or am I doing something daft?? I will be reduced to just ringing up I think. 

Thanks for any advice.

Edit to say I have most recently experienced this for the 7 March performance.

Edited January 18 by Occasional audience member

[Emeralds]

3 minutes ago, Occasional audience member said:

So as per my user name I am only able to attend occasionally. I am hoping to see Swan Lake and have been looking for tickets (I’m not a Friend so just public ones}. But I can’t make the booking site work. I click on a performance, a message pops up to tell me that, say, there are 27 seats available for that performance, so I click on the seat map and not a single available seat is showing. Is this a known problem or am I doing something daft?? I will be reduced to just ringing up I think. 

Thanks for any advice.

Edit to say I have most recently experienced this for the 7 March performance.

It often means that other people are booking at the same time and what might be happening is that a number of people ahead of you are clicking on it, keeping it for over 20 minutes while they decide, but not actually buying yet. The number on the availability indicates how many have been paid for, but on the seat map you can't click and select what someone else has put in their basket. I find that if you do have the time, late evening tends to be easiest time for me to get tickets and mornings of booking periods oening are the worst. Good luck!

[bridiem]

10 minutes ago, Occasional audience member said:

So as per my user name I am only able to attend occasionally. I am hoping to see Swan Lake and have been looking for tickets (I’m not a Friend so just public ones}. But I can’t make the booking site work. I click on a performance, a message pops up to tell me that, say, there are 27 seats available for that performance, so I click on the seat map and not a single available seat is showing. Is this a known problem or am I doing something daft?? I will be reduced to just ringing up I think. 

Thanks for any advice.

Edit to say I have most recently experienced this for the 7 March performance.

 

If you go to the thread 'ROH Spring 2024 Booking' in the News forum, the last few posts cover this same query/problem...

[LinMM]

Yes lengthy discussion there about this and I rang up yesterday ….re the same performance! 
Apparently when tickets showing as available aren’t showing on the seat map they are probably “access” tickets and you have to be registered for this scheme to “see” the tickets. 
Seems a bit clumsy to me but that’s what I was told by Box Office. 
There’s no guarantee though that the Box Office staff helpful as they are know all the ins and outs of the ROH computer system! 

[bridiem]

5 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Yes lengthy discussion there about this and I rang up yesterday ….re the same performance! 
Apparently when tickets showing as available aren’t showing on the seat map they are probably “access” tickets and you have to be registered for this scheme to “see” the tickets. 
Seems a bit clumsy to me but that’s what I was told by Box Office. 
There’s no guarantee though that the Box Office staff helpful as they are know all the ins and outs of the ROH computer system! 

 

To be honest, that doesn't make sense to me. If you're not registered as an 'access' person (whoever that might be), why does it show any tickets being available to you at any stage? The system should be consistent from one stage of booking to the next, and it clearly isn't.

[LinMM]

I thought access meant people either in wheelchairs or who have mobility type issues so seats need to be easy to get to. 
I can only go by what I’ve been told but these days in big organisations people only seem to know the bit of information they need to do their own job! 
The other day I was in a large well known Garden Centre which has outlets selling other things. I tried at least four outlets to ask where the Garden furniture was ( as couldn’t see a Garden Centre employee) and none of them knew where it might be located! So they go to work there every day and just go to “their bit” eyes closed everywhere else it seems!! 

[JohnS]

I think there’ve been problems with Swan Lake for some days now - no seats showing when accessing the seat map when the suggestion is that there are a number of tickets for sale. A few days ago I mentioned it to the Box Office when I’d had problems using my credit card for an on line booking. I’ve also emailed Customer Services.

[alison]

Just arrived in my inbox:

 

"Our digital team at the Royal Opera House is always working to improve the experience of using our website. 

 

As someone who has purchased tickets using the Royal Opera House website, we would greatly appreciate your feedback on what information is most important to you when purchasing a ticket.  

 

The survey is anonymous and will take no more than 10 minutes to complete. Upon completion of the survey, you will have a chance to provide your email to be entered in a draw for a £100 Amazon Gift Card.  

 

The survey can be filled in on a computer, tablet, or mobile phone and will be available until 5pm on Tuesday 23 January."

[Rob S]

I'm doing the survey now....really can't only give 5 options to question 5....surely it would be better to say which you DON'T need at time of booking

[Mary]

I got this too - it's the latest of many such. but surely they don't need to ask me what the website needs to do?

I should have thought it was fairly obvious really.

 

[San Perregrino]

19 hours ago, Occasional audience member said:

So as per my user name I am only able to attend occasionally. I am hoping to see Swan Lake and have been looking for tickets (I’m not a Friend so just public ones}. But I can’t make the booking site work. I click on a performance, a message pops up to tell me that, say, there are 27 seats available for that performance, so I click on the seat map and not a single available seat is showing. Is this a known problem or am I doing something daft?? I will be reduced to just ringing up I think. 

Thanks for any advice.

Edit to say I have most recently experienced this for the 7 March performance.

 

7 hours ago, LinMM said:

Yes lengthy discussion there about this and I rang up yesterday ….re the same performance! 
Apparently when tickets showing as available aren’t showing on the seat map they are probably “access” tickets and you have to be registered for this scheme to “see” the tickets. 
Seems a bit clumsy to me but that’s what I was told by Box Office. 
There’s no guarantee though that the Box Office staff helpful as they are know all the ins and outs of the ROH computer system! 

 

6 hours ago, JohnS said:

I think there’ve been problems with Swan Lake for some days now - no seats showing when accessing the seat map when the suggestion is that there are a number of tickets for sale. A few days ago I mentioned it to the Box Office when I’d had problems using my credit card for an on line booking. I’ve also emailed Customer Services.

all the ROH website needs is a message similar to the one in the Donmar Warehouse website:

 

“If the performance you are looking for says it has limited availability but appears sold out, this will indicate that seats are not available for the general public.”

 

[Mary]

2 hours ago, Rob S said:

I'm doing the survey now....really can't only give 5 options to question 5....surely it would be better to say which you DON'T need at time of booking

I did it in the end.

 

This question was absurd! It's fairly obvious- isn't it?- that we need to know the art form, what the work is, the date, the time- and filter by  morning/afternoon/evening - before booking.

is it really likely that 'related merchandise in the shop' is going to be more 'important' to anyone at all than these?

 

If they honestly have to ask us whether we need to know the above before we book, I rather question whether they are the right people to be designing and running an opera house website.

 

 

[JohnS]

1 hour ago, PeterS said:

 

 

all the ROH website needs is a message similar to the one in the Donmar Warehouse website:

 

“If the performance you are looking for says it has limited availability but appears sold out, this will indicate that seats are not available for the general public.”

 

We now see that for Swan Lake 7 March those c30 seats are now available to be booked via the seat map. I imagine that seats for other Swan Lakes are also available.

[Guest oncnp]

5 minutes ago, JohnS said:

We now see that for Swan Lake 7 March those c30 seats are now available to be booked via the seat map. I imagine that seats for other Swan Lakes are also available.

They appear to be 

[Cescablue]

5 minutes ago, JohnS said:

We now see that for Swan Lake 7 March those c30 seats are now available to be booked via the seat map. I imagine that seats for other Swan Lakes are also available.

Yes, I just came on the forum to say the same thing - I've just booked for 1st April 7pm which was showing seats available but then none were showing when the seat map loaded last night. Wondering if someone at the ROH has been reading the forum posts ...

[JohnS]

I’m afraid I struggle with the ‘access allocation’ line which has been peddled. There’s only been a problem with Swan Lake and with seat prices at up to £175 in the tickets allegedly held for ‘access’ purposes, it simply hasn’t seemed credible.

[JohnS]

I’d had the ‘access allocation’ reply but suggested the patterns didn’t look credible. I got a second reply saying they’d checked again and the ‘access allocation’ explanation was correct. But we now see these tickets are accessible via seat maps.
I do hope people manage to get their Swan Lake tickets.

[San Perregrino]

1 minute ago, JohnS said:

I’d had the ‘access allocation’ reply but suggested the patterns didn’t look credible. I got a second reply saying they’d checked again and the ‘access allocation’ explanation was correct. But we now see these tickets are accessible via seat maps.
I do hope people manage to get their Swan Lake tickets.

 

if you look at the seats that have now become available you will see that they are all in pairs (unless one has been sold) at the end of rows and relatively close to exits.  so, it does make sense that they were originally offered for sale only to access patrons.  that they were not bought by access patrons when they went onsite could suggest that the higher ticket prices have made them unaffordable to many in this demographic who have limited income.  if this is the case it is a real pity. 

 

[LinMM]

Thanks for heads up re tickets but can’t pay over £150 even for Cesar! 
I can’t sit in Amphi or the loose chairs on the side in level B and C in Balcony (Row A is okay as have a barrier in front of you) but these not available and anyway too expensive for Swan Lake!! 
There is a seat in stalls circle .. a bench seat B.27. 
Still a bit pricey but have never sat on a bench seat before. Has anyone sat in B.27 is view okay from there? 

[Guest oncnp]

1 minute ago, PeterS said:

 

if you look at the seats that have now become available you will see that they are all in pairs (unless one has been sold) at the end of rows and relatively close to exits.  so, it does make sense that they were originally offered for sale only to access patrons.  that they were not bought by access patrons when they went onsite could suggest that the higher ticket prices have made them unaffordable to many in this demographic who have limited income.  if this is the case it is a real pity. 

 

 

Good point. But why release access so far in advance of the performance? 

[San Perregrino]

3 minutes ago, oncnp said:

 

Good point. But why release access so far in advance of the performance? 

because of a knee-jerk reaction by a staff member to all the calls received from forum members? 

[MJW]

Just had this offer for La Boheme

 

Have you been thinking about booking your first opera at the Royal Opera House? If you loved Swan Lake we think you'll love La bohème. 

 

With its soaring love duets, intimate arias and spectacular chorus scenes, Puccini's timeless Parisian tale has enduring appeal to audiences throughout the ages. Join us on Wednesday 24, Monday 29 or Wednesday 31 January and get 40% off tickets for the top two price bands – meaning you could get stalls tickets for under £150.

[Geoff]

1 minute ago, MJW said:

Just had this offer for La Boheme

Yes and there are other offers flying around as well. 40% off top price seems to be what’s around at the moment.
 

Perhaps everyone has seen the unappealing production and doesn’t want to see it again, particularly with a so so cast and conductor.