Ashton's Cinderella - new Royal Ballet production

[capybara]

20 minutes ago, FionaE said:

I’d say the website is a problem too … this is the next big thing on the main stage and it’s about item 15 when scrolling down ‘what’s on’ without filters.  

I have corresponded with Alex Beard and others about this and have been told that the order which comes up for me is not what they are seeing. 

[Scheherezade]

8 minutes ago, capybara said:

I have corresponded with Alex Beard and others about this and have been told that the order which comes up for me is not what they are seeing. 

 

Then they should have gone to Specsavers!!!

[Scheherezade]

I haven't received a Friends offer. Not that I would be able to afford the expensive seats even with a discount but, yes, why don't the offers go out to all Friends?

[Ianlond]

The tickets do seem very expensive but I wonder if the season programming hasn’t helped either; although Wolf Works is on currently, Cinderella comes close to both Nutcracker & Beauty which are known, ‘classical’ quantities to many people. I’m sure Cinderella would have sold well at Christmas & I do hope ticket sails pick up - one of my favourite scores & it’s full of fantastic dancing! 

Edited March 21, 2023 by Ianlond

[JNC]

7 minutes ago, Scheherezade said:

I haven't received a Friends offer. Not that I would be able to afford the expensive seats even with a discount but, yes, why don't the offers go out to all Friends?

have you already booked a ticket for the date listed?

 

I would raise this question with the membership team to note you’re not happy. 

[Bluebird]

17 minutes ago, capybara said:

I have corresponded with Alex Beard and others about this and have been told that the order which comes up for me is not what they are seeing. 

I've just been to the website and Cinderella is currently the twelfth item on the list on the What's On page.  I can't imagine what Alex Beard and others are seeing!

[MJW]

Just wondering whether the Friends discount is being offered just to those who have booked already in the areas benefiting from the discount? 

[Blossom]

3 minutes ago, MJW said:

Just wondering whether the Friends discount is being offered just to those who have booked already in the areas benefiting from the discount? 

It's not. I've booked a stalls seat for Thursday and have not received the offer - possibly because i could have booked it for less. However, it fails to recognise that I might be able to get someone to join me if i could book another seat!

[Guest oncnp]

4 minutes ago, MJW said:

Just wondering whether the Friends discount is being offered just to those who have booked already in the areas benefiting from the discount? 

I have booked in the area for the 30th and have not received the offer

[JNC]

I have booked but not for the dates next week and only in the amphitheatre! 
 

I would then guess it’s being sent out to friends who haven’t booked for those dates unless someone has got it and has booked those dates?

[capybara]

I find it rather sad that the UK’s premier venue for ballet and opera can’t seem to operate efficiently and effectively in every department and at all levels - especially with so many ‘managers’ and admin. staff.

Instead, there is a ‘pig’s ear’ everywhere one looks. The artists, supporters and audiences deserve better. 

[Mummykool]

When I received the offer, I looked up the prices of the discounted seats available. I can get a better view from some of the remaining amphitheatre seats than from any of the discounted seats, and at a cheaper price. Basically the seats on offer are STILL beyond what I'm willing to pay! Pricing is becoming a serious issue.

[Richard LH]

1 hour ago, Ianlond said:

The tickets do seem very expensive but I wonder if the season programming hasn’t helped either; although Wolf Works is on currently, Cinderella comes close to both Nutcracker & Beauty which are known, ‘classical’ quantities to many people. I’m sure Cinderella would have sold well at Christmas & I do hope ticket sails pick up - one of my favourite scores & it’s full of fantastic dancing! 

Yes maybe Cinderella at Christmas would have been a better choice instead of Nutcracker for once. Perhaps trying to recoup finances by having three very highly priced Classics in a row is ill judged.

[MJW]

1 hour ago, MJW said:

Just wondering whether the Friends discount is being offered just to those who have booked already in the areas benefiting from the discount? 

Given the replies, clearly ROH need to sort out their marketing and Friends databases to ensure everyone gets them! First the questionnaires and now this.

[OnePigeon]

I don’t suppose the ENB staging Cinderella in the round in June is helping much either.  I haven’t booked either yet as I’d rather see the RB, but the ticket prices are far too much, so crossing my fingers for some Friday Rush tickets - I certainly can’t afford to see both productions, much as I’d like to.

[Blossom]

1 hour ago, OnePigeon said:

I don’t suppose the ENB staging Cinderella in the round in June is helping much either.  I haven’t booked either yet as I’d rather see the RB, but the ticket prices are far too much, so crossing my fingers for some Friday Rush tickets - I certainly can’t afford to see both productions, much as I’d like to.

You would think that the companies would speak to each other and work ensure each others’ survival. 
 

ROH is focussing on the legacy of Ashton, but I wonder how much this means to new audiences, if anything. 

[Candleque]

On one hand, I am v happy to hear that the ROH are offering discounts to Friends — their most loyal (and deserving) customers 👍. On the other hand, am so sad I didn't receive this offer myself ☹️

And yeah — note to ROH — although I have already booked multiple casts, with a discount I would have been tempted to buy more tickets... 
 

 

Checking the website just to see what shows up to an unlogged-in user, Cinderella comes up on the page as a long scroll down number 12. Makes no sense marketing-wise, but the productions all seem to be listed in chronological order based on start date, whether it is an Insight, a Tour or a mainstage ballet or opera. Shows the flaws of the ROH site design. They really need to do some serious usability testing. One of the base principles of web usability is minimising how many clicks or scrolls any user needs to get to the desired content or action.

 

As always, it is hard to figure out what the marketing department at the Royal Ballet is thinking. Who is their target audience?? While I understand using the beautiful Marianela Nuñez in the key image for Cinderella, I'm rather befuddled by the background of photoshopped flowers. Tells me nothing about the plot or the production. Perhaps the flowers will be made clear in the new designs we haven't yet seen. As contrast, I think the BRB's key image for their new Black Sabbath ballet is brilliant. And their old Cinderella poster has a clear concept vs the ROH current one. 

 

[alison]

As I probably pointed out with regard to Sleeping Beauty, knocking 25% off, say, a £51 seat doesn't actually bring it down below the £34 seats, which I've already said I can't afford.  Hopefully some Friends will be able to benefit, though.

[Fonty]

10 hours ago, Candleque said:

As always, it is hard to figure out what the marketing department at the Royal Ballet is thinking. Who is their target audience?? While I understand using the beautiful Marianela Nuñez in the key image for Cinderella, I'm rather befuddled by the background of photoshopped flowers. Tells me nothing about the plot or the production. Perhaps the flowers will be made clear in the new designs we haven't yet seen. As contrast, I think the BRB's key image for their new Black Sabbath ballet is brilliant. And their old Cinderella poster has a clear concept vs the ROH current one. 

 

 

Yes, I was bewildered by the poster for Cinderella as well.  If it hadn't come in an email with Cinderella in the header, I would not have been able to guess what the ballet was.  It has been a while since I saw a production, but I don't remember sunlit flower meadows being a major feature in the heroine's life.  If someone had asked me to guess the production, I would have been hard put to come up with an answer.  

Edited March 22, 2023 by Fonty

[Nina99]

7 minutes ago, Fonty said:

 

Yes, I was bewildered by the poster for Cinderella as well.  If it hadn't come in an email with Cinderella in the header, I would not have been able to guess what the ballet was.  It has been a while since I saw a production, but I don't remember sunlit flower meadows being a major feature in the heroine's life.  If someone had asked me to guess the production, I would have been hard put to come up with an answer.  

I absolutely agree with this. It’s a very attractive poster, but it certainly doesn’t relate to the production in my opinion. Something akin to the picture used on the website to advertise the gala performance would’ve been much better. i’ve seen several large versions of the flower poster in the tube, advertising the production, but I wonder if the marketing department didn’t rather waste their money.

[capybara]

12 hours ago, OnePigeon said:

I don’t suppose the ENB staging Cinderella in the round in June is helping much either.  I haven’t booked either yet as I’d rather see the RB, but the ticket prices are far too much, so crossing my fingers for some Friday Rush tickets - I certainly can’t afford to see both productions, much as I’d like to.

ENB’s advertising does, I think, offer the prospect of what it says on the tin and has been around for some The RB’s is beautiful rubbish which adorns the tube and elsewhere but only appeared relatively recently.

 

10 hours ago, Blossom said:

You would think that the companies would speak to each other and work to ensure each others’ survival. 

There is little, if any, evidence that this happens. The RB’s timing might have been disrupted by the pandemic, but …….

[zxDaveM]

6 minutes ago, Nina99 said:

I absolutely agree with this. It’s a very attractive poster, but it certainly doesn’t relate to the production in my opinion. Something akin to the picture used on the website to advertise the gala performance would’ve been much better. i’ve seen several large versions of the flower poster in the tube, advertising the production, but I wonder if the marketing department didn’t rather waste their money.

 

I think I read somewhere the productions design is going to be rather 'flower oriented' - the seasons sections obviously, but throughout (the ball is in a garden rather than a ballroom, for example)

Which then probably makes sense to the marketing bods, who have seen the designs, as opposed to everyone else, who haven't

[zxDaveM]

10 minutes ago, capybara said:

ENB’s advertising does, I think, offer the prospect of what it says on the tin and has been around for some The RB’s is beautiful rubbish which adorns the tube and elsewhere but only appeared relatively recently.

 

There is little, if any, evidence that this happens. The RB’s timing might have been disrupted by the pandemic, but …….

 

Indeed, I've remarked on this before - apart from Christmassy Nutcrackers which are understable clashes, we do get a blitz of Swan Lakes, or Giselles, or whatever, sometimes from more than two companies (where 2 is bad enough). I know these things are planned way in advance and all that, but surely the occasional converstion between directors could guide up and coming rep to avoid samey clashes, to the benefit of all

[Fonty]

5 minutes ago, zxDaveM said:

 

I think I read somewhere the productions design is going to be rather 'flower oriented' - the seasons sections obviously, but throughout (the ball is in a garden rather than a ballroom, for example)

Which then probably makes sense to the marketing bods, who have seen the designs, as opposed to everyone else, who haven't

 

Well, obviously I shall wait and see.  Moving the ball outdoors makes sense of the flowers, but my first thought when looking at it was that it seemed a bit like La Fille.   Except, of course, that she is in a tutu.  Actually, it has always puzzled me as to why she is dressed like that.  Ok, I know it was probably so that the choreography could be seen to its best advantage, but thinking about it, a longer skirt would have been more appropriate for a get together which includes members of the Royal family.  A tutu is not exactly your standard ball gown, is it?

 

If the grand party is now an outdoor one, let's hope the weather stays good for them.  They do, after all, have to be out there until midnight.  

[zxDaveM]

The blurb on the booking page, also says - "Through the seasons and the stars, where dreams blossom"

Which I suppose says 'Cinderella' more than "In space, no one can hear you scream"

[Blossom]

55 minutes ago, zxDaveM said:

The blurb on the booking page, also says - "Through the seasons and the stars, where dreams blossom"

Which I suppose says 'Cinderella' more than "In space, no one can hear you scream"

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[alison]

I mean, if you're putting on Cinderella, and you wanted to catch the attention of passersby, wouldn't you put, oh, I don't know, a slipper and a clock showing midnight? Probably way too obvious, but I'd have thought the poster was advertising sleeping beauty.

[MildConcern]

I have applied the discount code and had a look at what is available. I will not (yet) be buying discounted tickets for a number of reasons:

• The three casts for which the discounts apply aren't top of my wishlist. I already have a ticket for a Kaneko/Bracewell performance and I am contemplating also seeing Takada or Morera if I enjoy the production. 
• Prices remain high despite the discount, as it only applies to the top 4 price bands. £127 is a discounted stalls price I would snap up for something I am very curious about, or something I know I'd love. I already know I am ambivalent about the score and while I have never seen the full ballet live, the excerpts I have seen don't particularly whet the appetite. 
• Frankly, I am having to be more selective about the performances I am seeing. I used to be very happy buying multiple second/third row amphi tickets for different ballet casts, as this would be around £20 - 30. The same ticket for this run of Cinderella is between £51 - 91. Added to the fact that while this is a new production, most ballet productions are recycled year on year. I sometimes feel that if prices keep going up, my money is better utilised seeing new opera productions that offer something different than just a new cast from the last revival. 

[art_enthusiast]

Is the discount code only for performances next week?

[Fonty]

38 minutes ago, alison said:

I mean, if you're putting on Cinderella, and you wanted to catch the attention of passersby, wouldn't you put, oh, I don't know, a slipper and a clock showing midnight? Probably way too obvious, but I'd have thought the poster was advertising sleeping beauty.

 

Probably the advertising people thought that was far too obvious for today's "sophisticated" audience, Alison. 

Yes, Sleeping Beauty was my first thought as well.  

[alison]

I see additional casting is out - Sisters and Fairy Godmother, presumably.

[zxDaveM]

21 minutes ago, alison said:

I see additional casting is out - Sisters and Fairy Godmother, presumably.

 

yes, if you expand the casting, it says as much

[San Perregrino]

As a Friend, I’m once more p’ed off that I haven’t been sent the discount offer. If someone would care to PM me the details it’d be appreciated.

thanks