Royal Ballet 2022/23 Winter Ticket Prices

[JNC]

8 hours ago, Emeralds said:

JNC, you absolutely have to see Fille live in person when it’s next revived by either RB or BRB. Preferably twice! You’re missing out on so much  if you never watched it live. 😊🐴🎀

I know! They just haven’t programmed it over the last few years, really really hoping for next year, it could take the “family friendly” slot of Cinderella presumably? 
 

I would also try and take a trip to Birmingham to see it if finances allowed, presumably it’s the same Ashton version! 

[Jan McNulty]

12 minutes ago, JNC said:

I know! They just haven’t programmed it over the last few years, really really hoping for next year, it could take the “family friendly” slot of Cinderella presumably? 
 

I would also try and take a trip to Birmingham to see it if finances allowed, presumably it’s the same Ashton version! 

 

Yes it is the same production.  The set is slightly smaller in scale due to the vagaries of touring theatres and there are two intervals not one for the same reason.  

[Jan McNulty]

8 hours ago, Emeralds said:

 I always used to think of The Two Pigeons as a BRB ballet, as the first time I saw it was with Sandra Madgwick and Michael O’Hare (that’s a long time ago, haha) in the leads and they were simply delightful, and made the choreography look so easy. 

 

 

My first cast was Miyako Yoshida and Kevin O'Hare ... at Sadler's Wells on a Friday evening in January 1990 - Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet.  The following afternoon it was Sandra Madgwick and Michael O'Hare.  The company did not become BRB until that Autumn.

 

I had only booked the Friday night as an extra because my dog had died a couple of days earlier and I just couldn't bear going home after work.

 

[LinMM]

When Alexander Grant played Alain he made him a hugely sympathetic character …you loved him ..not so much laughed at him…you felt with him. If it goes over into caricature ..as it sometimes has ..this destroys you identifying with who he is. If people allow him to be he is happy in his own skin.

It really would be a dreadful shame never to see Fille again because of the character of Alain but the role needs to be approached with some care. 

[JNC]

I love the DVD with Nunez and Acosta (that’s the one I’ve seen) and found Alain to be a sympathetic and charming character - definitely agree it might be a difficult one but I think if you know the character has a good heart and just sees things in a different way and doesn’t “conform” I think it’s fine. 
 

I guess the other issue that might come up is the mother character being played by a man - but this is similar to pantomime tradition so presume that one should be ok…

 

I wonder if the stepsisters in Cinderella are/will be played by men for the revival next year. 

[capybara]

28 minutes ago, LinMM said:

When Alexander Grant played Alain he made him a hugely sympathetic character …you loved him ..not so much laughed at him…you felt with him. If it goes over into caricature ..as it sometimes has ..this destroys you identifying with who he is. If people allow him to be he is happy in his own skin.

 

Another, more recent, dancer who got Alain absolutely 'right' was Ludovic Ondiviela.

[alison]

3 hours ago, DVDfan said:

The scenes at the harvest show what learning disabled people put up with from their peers - the teasing with the flute, the irritation and contempt. 

 

But also, ultimately, that they do care about him and look after him, and that he is a fully integrated member of their community.  I do think "contempt" is maybe a bit strong, though.

[Emeralds]

8 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

My first cast was Miyako Yoshida and Kevin O'Hare ... at Sadler's Wells on a Friday evening in January 1990 - Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet.  The following afternoon it was Sandra Madgwick and Michael O'Hare.  The company did not become BRB until that Autumn.

 

I had only booked the Friday night as an extra because my dog had died a couple of days earlier and I just couldn't bear going home after work.

 

My condolences about your dog, Janet, and I understand about not wanting to go home when a beloved pet is no longer there. Attending an extra performance of Two Pigeons is a good idea and very therapeutic for such moments.

[Dawnstar]

Belated thanks for the replies to my comment about Two Pigeons. (Apologies for not replying yesterday, my wifi wasn't working yesterday & half of today.) I'm someone else who hasn't see Fille & would like to so hope it gets programmed again at some point.

[Angela Essex]

On 25/07/2022 at 12:09, oncnp said:

 

For giggles, here is what £30 currently buys for Meyerling (21 Oct performance with possibly better seats going on sale later this week)

 

Yes I think the prices at the ROH are very reasonable I generally pay between £10 and £30 a ticket and have a great view. Stalls circle standing, balcony row C standing, the loose seats on the balcony and front side amphi are all excellent value for money. We are so lucky in this country to be able to see such world class performances for £10. It costs £20 plus to go to the cinema in some places so I really think we can’t grumble. Having said that I’d love to see some sort of discount for public sector workers against the higher cost tickets as these are totally out of my price bracket. Also it does take a bit of planning and strategy to get the decent cheap seats at the ROH - a lot of checking for returns and early booking.

[DVDfan]

22 hours ago, alison said:

 

But also, ultimately, that they do care about him and look after him, and that he is a fully integrated member of their community.  I do think "contempt" is maybe a bit strong, though.

 

Could be, I suppose. Your different point of view is interesting - I've always seen a group ganging up on an individual as very rejective and hostile. I think it might depend on the nuances of performance, not just Alain but the village lads as well. 

 

Either way, it's certainly no justification for banning the ballet.

[SheilaC]

On 27/07/2022 at 08:59, LinMM said:

When Alexander Grant played Alain he made him a hugely sympathetic character …you loved him ..not so much laughed at him…you felt with him. If it goes over into caricature ..as it sometimes has ..this destroys you identifying with who he is. If people allow him to be he is happy in his own skin.

It really would be a dreadful shame never to see Fille again because of the character of Alain but the role needs to be approached with some care. 

The best Alains have been sympathetic. I have always felt both that it was significant that Ashton created the role on one of his closest friends whom he trusted, Alexander Grant, and that the final end of the ballet, against the audience expectations, is of Alain breaking in to search for his beloved umbrella.

As LinMM says, Alexander Grant's interpretation was very sympathetic, even lovable. When he mounted the ballet on the Paris Opera Ballet, he selected a relatively unknown dancer, Simon Valestro (who sadly retired recently and has returned to Italy) who gave a wholly sensitive characterisation. Great performers of the role include Ian Webb when he danced for Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet.

Yet from the start some performers, even Garry Grant, Alexander's brother, have milked the role for comedy. It is crucial that those setting and rehearsing the ballet handle this role with great sensitivity and insist that dancers follow Ashton's intentions.

[FionaM]

And Paul Kay got Alain ‘right’ too

[Jan McNulty]

I've always felt that Alain is just an extremely naive young man.  His father, to me, obviously feels as though he is a cut above and probably hasn't let Alain mix with other people his own age so he has made his own friend in the umbrella.

[Sim]

I have lost count of how many times I have seen Fille, and never once have I come out feeling affronted or offended because of the Alain character.  The village girls gently tickle and tease him and Lise and Colas do what they can to get rid of him so they can be alone....but it's never nasty.  As I said up-thread, what he really loves is his umbrella and is happily reunited with it in the end.  I have always thought of him as a sweetie, not someone who is abused or mis-treated.  There are plenty of potential Alains in the RB and BRB who would give the required sympathetic interpretation of the character so please Messrs O'Hare and Acosta...don't be scared, please put this wonderful ballet on again soon.  I think we are all missing Naughty Peregrine, too!

 

[alison]

1 hour ago, Sim said:

I have lost count of how many times I have seen Fille, and never once have I come out feeling affronted or offended because of the Alain character. 

 

I have, but only once in decades of watching the ballet - although it was a relatively recent performance.

[Jan McNulty]

Just a query - is Michael O'Hare (of BRB) the only dancer who has performed Colas, Widow Simone and Alain?

[Rachel H]

4 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

Just a query - is Michael O'Hare (of BRB) the only dancer who has performed Colas, Widow Simone and Alain?

He was certainly the first, but I think I have also seen Stephen Jefferies perform all three roles as well. No complaints from me with either dancer 🙂 

[Scheherezade]

21 hours ago, Sim said:

I have lost count of how many times I have seen Fille, and never once have I come out feeling affronted or offended because of the Alain character.  The village girls gently tickle and tease him and Lise and Colas do what they can to get rid of him so they can be alone....but it's never nasty. 

 

Agreed. And none of the Alains I have seen have appeared remotely discomfited but, rather, have appeared to enjoy the attention. 

[Sim]

Back to ticket prices....I have just booked to go and see South Pacific at Sadler's Wells.  Very expensive.  I have paid £45 for a restricted view seat.  They then whack on £3.50 'transaction fee', so I have paid just under £50 to have a restricted view.  I must say I am surprised at how expensive this is.  Many of the stalls seats cost £100.

 

Does anyone know what a 'transaction fee' actually is?  I didn't speak to a human being, no-one has to print out a ticket nor put it in an envelope nor pay postage to despatch it to me.  It is all done electronically, so I just don't get it.  

[Jan McNulty]

11 minutes ago, Sim said:

 

Does anyone know what a 'transaction fee' actually is?  I didn't speak to a human being, no-one has to print out a ticket or put it in an envelop or pay postage to despatch it to me.  It is all done electronically, so I just don't get it.  

 

 

I do not know if this is still the case but years ago it was explained to me (by a box office manager to whom I was complaining about a transaction fee) that theatres that take in touring productions obviously have to split the box office returns with the visiting company.  The transaction fee is retained completely by the theatre and these amounts add up...

[Sim]

Thanks Jan. This fee is added at every SW show, so I assume that everything that plays there is considered a touring company as they don’t have a home company as such. 

[capybara]

1 hour ago, Sim said:.

Does anyone know what a 'transaction fee' actually is?  I didn't speak to a human being, no-one has to print out a ticket nor put it in an envelope nor pay postage to despatch it to me.  It is all done electronically, so I just don't get it.  

It is simply a way of a theatre or booking agency making money (and maintaining its technological infrastructure).

[zxDaveM]

1 hour ago, Sim said:

Back to ticket prices....I have just booked to go and see South Pacific at Sadler's Wells.  Very expensive.  I have paid £45 for a restricted view seat.  They then whack on £3.50 'transaction fee', so I have paid just under £50 to have a restricted view.  I must say I am surprised at how expensive this is.  Many of the stalls seats cost £100.

 

Does anyone know what a 'transaction fee' actually is?  I didn't speak to a human being, no-one has to print out a ticket nor put it in an envelope nor pay postage to despatch it to me.  It is all done electronically, so I just don't get it.  

 

transaction fees used to cover the cost of using a card I believe, credit or even debit, that the CC companies charge whoever you are paying. Though £3.50 still sounds steep!

What's galling is that I couldn't make the 27th due to the train strike (or rather, I thought I would have struggled to get home afterwards) and they charge another £3.50 to issue a credit note. Though I suppose there was at least human interraction in that, so perhaps the rather steep fee had some vague value

 

[San Perregrino]

3 hours ago, Sim said:

Back to ticket prices....I have just booked to go and see South Pacific at Sadler's Wells.  Very expensive.  I have paid £45 for a restricted view seat.  They then whack on £3.50 'transaction fee', so I have paid just under £50 to have a restricted view.  I must say I am surprised at how expensive this is.  Many of the stalls seats cost £100.

 

Does anyone know what a 'transaction fee' actually is?  I didn't speak to a human being, no-one has to print out a ticket nor put it in an envelope nor pay postage to despatch it to me.  It is all done electronically, so I just don't get it.  

Probably too late for you @Sim, but if you love the show and want to see it again, TodayTix is selling tickets at discount. eg rear stalls for £35. Also daily rush at £25.

For same day tickets TKTS is offering discounts of up to 50%.

My Fair Lady & Anything Goes are also discounted by both. It doesn’t auger well for future productions.

Edited August 4, 2022 by PeterS

[alison]

TKTS is selling tickets for Sadler's Wells?  It's been a mighty long time since it's done that: I should know - I kept looking for them for all sorts of programmes which weren't selling terribly well.

[Lizbie1]

If it is convenient - and I appreciate for SW in particular this isn't necessarily so* - in most cases you can avoid the extra fee by booking in person.

 

*In my experience you can also book in person at the Peacock for SW shows, but the box office isn't open much.

[Peony]

I think they almost all charge a transaction fee, even the cinema does when you book online! 

[Sim]

1 hour ago, PeterS said:

Probably too late for you @Sim, but if you love the show and want to see it again, TodayTix is selling tickets at discount. eg rear stalls for £35. Also daily rush at £25.

For same day tickets TKTS is offering discounts of up to 50%.

My Fair Lady & Anything Goes are also discounted by both. It doesn’t auger well for future productions.

Thanks Peter.  I am sitting rear stalls so have paid £10 more than TodayTix is selling them for.  Silly me.  I might check Anything Goes as I would like to see that.  

[alison]

There are offers galore on Anything Goes - have emailed you.

[Nastya]

150 pounds(e.g), so about 10,850 rubles.How do ordinary people in the UK go to ballets?! The Mariinsky is ten times cheaper, even for overcharged (yes) tourists. It's really disgusting that they charge so much.

[Guest oncnp]

26 minutes ago, Nastya said:

150 pounds(e.g), so about 10,850 rubles.How do ordinary people in the UK go to ballets?! The Mariinsky is ten times cheaper, even for overcharged (yes) tourists. It's really disgusting that they charge so much.

 

And how much does the Russian gov't subsidize the Mariinsky?

[alison]

Incomparably, I suspect.