ROH seat prices

[jmhopton]

Thought I might start a new thread rather than continue to hijack the Cinderella thread. I thought I'd post my letter to Alex Beard and his response if this is OK. Mods please remove it, if you think it's not appropriate. I don't think either of us said anything controversial (especially Alex!) We were just stating our respective viewpoints. I'll have to do it in full rather than as an attachment as I'm using a library pc and I can't find Word.  I always try to start a possibly negative letter with something positive which I why I start with Vadim's performance. it did occur to me while writing it I don't recall ever seeing Alex at a ballet performance, certainly not sitting with the rest of the ballet staff, but obviously I don't get to attend that many. He could be at others.

 

Dear Alex

 

First of all, I hope you managed to see at least one of Vadim's performances in Mayerling. They were both absolutely incredible; we all know what an amazing dancer he is but I'd no idea he was such a great actor as well. He was Prince Rudolf with all his flaws and contradictions. They were the most amazing performances I've ever seen (especially the second one) in over 30 years of ballet going. The only snag is we may have to wait for 3 years to see them again. I do hope not and I hope he is filmed for the cinema next time. Everyone who cares about ballet should see him. Massive credit too for everyone else onstage and for all those who coached him in the role. It was a real team effort but Vadim was the star. I only hope it's not too long before he can debut Onegin. I've been waiting for this since he joined the Company and was devastated when he pulled out in 2019 but after that Mayerling I'm sure he's ready now!

 

However, this brings me to the increasing price of ROH tickets. It is getting more difficult for ordinary ballet enthusiasts like myself who just have a state pension and small work pension to be able to afford tickets at the ROH, especially when we have to factor in transport and accommodation as well. I come from Preston and I was talking to two keen ballet supporters at the stage door, from Plymouth and Penrith and we all feel the same. We are all Friends and like to see as many of our favourite casts in our favourite ballets as we can but the increasing prices make this so difficult. As my eyesight isn't as good as it was, I like the stalls circle these days, especially for ballets like Mayerling when acting/facial expressions/small gestures are very important. I usually choose the restricted view seats like C77 to enable me to see more performances. For Manon in 2019 it was £36. For this run of Mayerling it was £58 and for the forthcoming Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella it's £70!; that's more than double the price in 3 years and is the cheapest range of seats in the stalls circle! Added to that the front row of the amphi is £112 for SB and Cinderella! Now I know the large-scale classical ballets are the most expensive, and obviously you are still having to recoup money after the pandemic, lack of international tourism, and because of the Arts Council grant cut, but even so these are large price rises for people with small incomes. I would hate for the ROH to end up excluding the audience that cares most passionately about its productions because we can't afford the ticket prices. I must admit my first thought after hearing about the Arts Council cut was to hope that ordinary ballet and opera enthusiasts wouldn't have to make up the shortfall by increased ticket prices, especially at a time when so many of us are struggling to pay basic bills and put food on the table. For many people, theatre going is a luxury not a necessity (as it is for us diehards!) and for all of us It would be good if you had a loyalty scheme; cheaper tickets if more are bought or pensioner discount or something to encourage your loyal supporters to remain loyal and not be taken for granted, as sometime seems to be the case, and also to attract a new audience. One enthusiast commented on the demise of the package scheme which used to enable her to see more performances, which is now more difficult. Many years ago, I wrote in saying something on these lines and was told that because you wanted your loyal supporters who lived at a distance to feel valued that's why you had cheaper matinee tickets to enable them to visit without having to stay over. That was great, but several years ago these cheaper matinee seats were withdrawn without any notice so how do we feel valued now? In company with many other keen ballet and opera goers I want to attend as many performances as I can but it is getting more difficult financially and it would be good if we had something more than increased prices to encourage us to attend more, not less, so we can carry on enjoying the wonderful performances you produce. You are the best opera house in the world, I'm sure, certainly for ballet, as the RB is currently in a golden era and seems set to remain so hopefully for years to come. I just want to be able to afford the fabulous performances they produce without having to struggle to afford it.

 

Many thanks for your patience!

 

This is Alex's reply

 

 

Dear Joan

 

Thank you so much for your email and for your steadfast support.

 

I was delighted to see how much you enjoyed Vadim's interpretation of Prince Rudolf. A landmark moment in his career, and I will pass on your comments to Kevin about Onegin. His time shall come I am sure.

I appreciate your concern over ticket prices, but as you say it is in an incredibly challenging economic environment, exacerbated by the latest round of Arts Council funding cuts. Our pricing model has to be set at such a level that we can break even financially to sustain the artists and run the theatre, and with rising energy bills and spiralling inflation this is harder than ever. We will keep the situation under very close review - affordability and access remain very important to us, especially for our most loyal audience members and Friends. I have shared your thoughts about packages and discounts with the team.

Your loyalty and commitment as a Friend of Covent Garden is deeply appreciated. Thank you for staying with us during this most difficult time. I hope to welcome you back to the Royal Opera House again.

With all best wishes

Alex

 

 

[Vanartus]

What an amazing letter you wrote, and at least you got a speedy reply which contained a grain of hope. Thank you for making the effort. 

[Emeralds]

Well done for writing in, jmhopton, as you speak for many whose income taxes also go towards subsidising the Royal Opera House and don’t have the luxury of being able to afford very high priced seats or who live close enough so that there is no cost of long distance train tickets, taxi and/or bus fares, plus/minus overnight accommodation to add in as well. Thank you. 💐👏👍

[bangorballetboy]

19 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

as you speak for many whose income taxes also go towards subsidising the Royal Opera House 

 

To put this in context, for every £1,000 tax raised, about 3.5p goes to the ROH.

[LinMM]

Sorry I’m probably being a bit dumb but do you mean literally three and a half pence 😳

If so that’s shocking I thought I’d read it incorrectly at first and the 3 must stand for £3 at least!! 

[bangorballetboy]

Yes, I mean literally three and a half pence to the ROH for every £1,000 tax raised.

[FionaM]

There are rather a lot of other things that also have to come out of every £1,000 … NHS, education, govt departments, energy subsidies, blah blah blah etc.  
 

It is rather sobering to hear it in such stark small numbers.  

[LinMM]

Sorry I’m being dumb again… I originally interpreted it as  just pertaining to every £1000 of tax raised ..for Arts purposes! 
Of course if that’s for everything I can see the ROH as much as we may love it would come near the bottom of a very long list! 
Still three and a half pence is hardly anything at all in todays money. 

[SheilaC]

Alex Beard attends many performances, usually in the back row of the stalls, on the side block . He also made the effort to go to both performances at Doncaster in the autumn and was friendly and sympathetic to Friends who were able to attend.

[Emeralds]

On 25/11/2022 at 14:35, bangorballetboy said:

 

To put this in context, for every £1,000 tax raised, about 3.5p goes to the ROH.

Most people who have paid over 50 or 60 times that amount of tax in their working lives - most people would be surprised how much tax salaried people actually pay over their lifetime (while those who own corporations or other wealth assets who should pay the same actually pay a lot less due to trusts and tax law loopholes) - never get to watch a production inside the ROH because the seats that are not restricted or obscured are out of their reach. There are a lot of people subsidising the ROH so that we can see productions. Those 3.5pence amounts, when multiplied by millions, adds up to a lot. 

[Blossom]

Unfortunately I don’t think we can argue with the rise in cost of living impacting the end cost (seat prices) at the ROH. 
Unless they invest in a specific programme to sponsor seating or find another way of cutting budgets elsewhere, it’s just an unfortunate economic impact.  I am so frustrated by it, but I don’t think anything will change unless seats don’t sell/sell too slowly impacting overall cash-flow, identifying  the need to subsidise tickets. 

Ultimately this means a few things for me personally - more trips alone as friends aren’t as willing to pay the prices demanded,  less money spent in the bar or on programmes, fewer performances and likely less willingness to donate. The last factor is impacted by my frustration that ticket prices rising is making ballet less accessible, wherever you sit in the theatre. I want to know that the ROH/Alex Beard/the ROH board have a programme in mind which enables people to affordable enjoy ROH performances once they are out of the ‘young’ age bracket which seems to enjoy subsidies. It’s great to bring in new younger audiences, but in the long term, the pricing strategy has to be sustainable.

[Mary]

I think it might be best not to start down this road, or at least to be very careful before saying  'ROH receives proceeds from our tax, therefore it must offer cheap seats'. 

 

Yes- ideally- but  it needs a big enough subsidy from us all, to make that possible.

 

I would like very much to encourage everyone to visit ROH (and have done my little bit over a lifetime) and for corporations to pay their fair share of taxes, but, some sections of the press like to say it is an argument for reducing subsidies, that not everyone  can/does attend : whereas I would argue it is an argument for increasing subsidies. Otherwise, seat prices will continue to rise in current circumstances.

 

But besides, we all pay tax for all sorts of services we never use, and often we benefit indirectly in ways we might not ever realise.

 

 

 

 

 

[jmhopton]

On 26/11/2022 at 08:11, SheilaC said:

Alex Beard attends many performances, usually in the back row of the stalls, on the side block . He also made the effort to go to both performances at Doncaster in the autumn and was friendly and sympathetic to Friends who were able to attend.

Thanks for this Sheila.  I thought Alex would attend but I never think of looking in the stalls when the ballet coaches etc are usually in the Grand Tier. Lovely he went to Doncaster as well and met Friends there. Good for him.

 

 

[Blossom]

Further to @jmhopton’s letter I decided to write what I thought was a thoughtful letter - hoping to receive a response!

[Emeralds]

On 27/11/2022 at 17:48, Mary said:

I think it might be best not to start down this road, or at least to be very careful before saying  'ROH receives proceeds from our tax, therefore it must offer cheap seats'. 

 

Yes- ideally- but  it needs a big enough subsidy from us all, to make that possible.

 

I would like very much to encourage everyone to visit ROH (and have done my little bit over a lifetime) and for corporations to pay their fair share of taxes, but, some sections of the press like to say it is an argument for reducing subsidies, that not everyone  can/does attend : whereas I would argue it is an argument for increasing subsidies. Otherwise, seat prices will continue to rise in current circumstances.

 

But besides, we all pay tax for all sorts of services we never use, and often we benefit indirectly in ways we might not ever realise.

 

 

 

 

 

I pay for subsidised sport, drama, pop music and some community groups locally that I’m very happy not to use while others use them - indeed for some pastimes, I would probably pay to avoid attending them! But at the same time, I definitely believe they should be there for the enjoyment of others and would want to continue to subsidise them for the benefit they bring others and hence the community as a whole. 

 

I think what I and other members have been talking about is when some things like ROH ballet tickets start being priced so high that people who do want to go and save up for it still can’t afford it- and we’re not talking about affording seats in the Grand Tier or Orchestra Stalls, but just being able to afford a seat in the Amphitheatre that isn’t restricted view (never mind semi restricted view) or requires long range binoculars for the entire show. And sadly, for some people, it is a case of not being gradually priced out but wanting to go but not even being able to set foot inside for one show. ( Luckily for them, ENB exists and does give them the chance to enjoy very good ballet. ) 

 

But when you look at some expensive productions at ROH- both ballet as well as opera - that end up with many unsold seats because the run is too long for a show with limited audience appeal, or tickets are priced out of reach for a production that frankly doesn’t justify it, it does look suspicious that productions like Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, and Cinderella are gradually being priced higher and higher (before the new production of Cinderella has even opened!)  to subsidise the mistake productions  - not always artistic mistakes but sometimes scheduling mistakes as well (eg too many shows).

 

Rather than penalising patrons who do want to watch and support the company, perhaps the scheduling and pricing of high risk shows should be the first place to look at to improve the box office income.

 

Just because they can get away with increasing the prices of “sure fire hits” like Sleeping Beauty and Nutcracker and still sell out, doesn’t mean they should. (We’re already starting to see returned tickets - which may be related to the train strikes, so even those sure fire hits won’t always be guaranteed to sell out). I think on principle, no seat in the Amphi- unless they start becoming widened with arm rests to be more comfortable and provided with a free drink - should ever exceed £99 for opera or £70 for ballet (at today’s exchange rate/value of pound sterling). I’d increase the prices elsewhere in the house instead. And there are other ways of raising funds, as examples (legal ones!) from the US, Canada and Australia show.

Edited November 30, 2022 by Emeralds

[Blossom]

43 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

I think on principle, no seat in the Amphi- unless they start becoming widened with arm rests to be more comfortable and provided with a free drink - should ever exceed £99 for opera or £70 for ballet (at today’s exchange rate/value of pound sterling). I’d increase the prices elsewhere in the house instead. And there are other ways of raising funds, as examples (legal ones!) from the US, Canada and Australia show.

 

I think this is my biggest gripe with rising ticket prices. I'll still find a way to book the seats I'd prefer to sit in lower down in the house, but the eyewatering prices for restricted and/or uncomfortable seats will price people out of the ROH completely. This isn't just a threat to the ROH, it's also a threat in terms of how ballet and opera are perceived and as a result, I think that the pricing strategies (and long runs of the 'hits' instead of going back to the more varied seasons we had pre covid) are potentially a short term fix for them, but don't think long term about the future of ballet (or opera). It suggests to me that they are starting to be rather out of touch with their customers and the current economic climate.

[Emeralds]

On 30/11/2022 at 12:25, Blossom said:

 

I think this is my biggest gripe with rising ticket prices. I'll still find a way to book the seats I'd prefer to sit in lower down in the house, but the eyewatering prices for restricted and/or uncomfortable seats will price people out of the ROH completely. This isn't just a threat to the ROH, it's also a threat in terms of how ballet and opera are perceived and as a result, I think that the pricing strategies (and long runs of the 'hits' instead of going back to the more varied seasons we had pre covid) are potentially a short term fix for them, but don't think long term about the future of ballet (or opera). It suggests to me that they are starting to be rather out of touch with their customers and the current economic climate.

I agree, Blossom. And while ROH does have schemes to provide ballet and opera to kids whose parents/guardians would never be able to afford it, most never ever return, because of the prices. (Quite often they are the only ones in their entire household who will ever see a show at ROH.) This does tick the boxes that the government requires them to exist as a charity/tax exempt organisation, and of course on its own merits the scheme is laudable.

 

But between providing for the patrons who can easily afford £250 seats without blinking, and a once in a lifetime seat for kids who will never be able to afford any seat without a generous subsidy, I think they are beginning to neglect the “in betweens”- the people who can afford to go but not as easily as the “£200 tickets no problem” brigade, and actually, the bulk of their supporters are usually from the “in between” group. How do they grow an audience from this group instead of losing them to other entertainment outlets or businesses? If the ROH begins to be more and more unrealistically priced (eg minimum £70 for a seat with unrestricted view, £95 for a comfortable seat with unrestricted view), then they will start losing patrons to ENB, NT, RSC, ENO, LSO, the Philharmonia, LPO etc where £95 not only gets you the best seats in the auditorium (for comfort as well as the performance) but also dinner before the show! (Or even to clubbing, fashion and jazz/live music gigs.)

 

Now, audiences accept that ballet and opera will cost more than a play or a symphony, because ballet and opera (usually) require a live orchestra in addition to an ensemble of performers on stage. But the discrepancy between prices shouldn’t be so huge, especially when ENB and BRB can put on shows at London Coliseum and Sadler’s Wells for much lower ticket prices. And the comparison doesn’t look great for RB when you compare very similar productions eg Acosta’s Don Q at ROH vs Acosta’s Don Q at SWT, Scarlett’s Swan Lake at ROH vs Deane’s Swan Lake at LC (both have the same Act 1 pas de trois and Act 3 Neapolitan Dance, and both have immaculate synchronised swans and cygnets in similar tutus). And one can’t say “oh but we have better dancers” when Rojo, Muntagirov and (Leanne) Benjamin were dancing with ENB one season and RB the next (likewise Gasparini and Dubreuil moving while in the junior ranks), and Cojocaru went in the opposite direction in 2013, or Campbell and Bracewell moving from BRB to RB as well. Even more difficult to use it as a reason when Muntagirov and Acosta were both dancing with RB and with ENB (as Romeo) in the same season in 2014.

[Dawnstar]

2 hours ago, Emeralds said:

(eg minimum £70 for a seat with unrestricted view, £95 for a comfortable seat with unrestricted view),

 

This season it's got to the stage where £70 will only give you an uncomfortable seat with a restricted or very distant view for SB & Cinderella. Anything both comfortable & unrestricted looks like a minimum of £112 & mostly £150+.

[Emeralds]

1 minute ago, Dawnstar said:

 

This season it's got to the stage where £70 will only give you an uncomfortable seat with a restricted or very distant view for SB & Cinderella. Anything both comfortable & unrestricted looks like a minimum of £112 & mostly £150+.

£150 would get you dinner, best seats and champagne for ENB’s Swan Lake 😆

[Dawnstar]

I've got front row stalls, albeit side block & with the 15% multibuy offer, for ENB's Swan Lake for less than I'll be paying for restricted view row C far side stalls circle bench seats for SB & Cinderella.

[Emeralds]

I find it amusing that when ENB offers me multibuy offers for two ballets, I always feel a tad guilty- “you’re offering me a discount for doing what I was planning to do anyway”, whereas when ROH offered packages, it felt like “instead of trying to flog off a production/programme that few people want to see by forcing us to book it in order to get a tiny discount, why don’t you just do a better programme or production, or better still, drop it altogether?” (That applies for both opera and ballet).

 

I should add that so far, nothing in the 2022-2023 season for RB has constituted a dud programme. Some of us might have not booked certain productions due to our own likes and preferences, but the productions are strong in their own right (even not having seen the Cinderella designs yet, the choreography and music still make it a strong production.

 

Not quite sure about RB’s last mixed bill of the season- hopefully it will be priced sensibly and not too many performances. I think it could be a challenge to sell in terms of its timing (June) and combination of ballets. I won’t be booking it because my schedule is packed during that period ( I wouldn’t even be able to attend during that time if it had been a performance of Sleeping Beauty or La Fille mal Gardee with every single one of my fave artists appearing in it!) 

Edited December 1, 2022 by Emeralds

[Dawnstar]

That's only 6 performances of the mixed bill, which compared to the rest of the season isn't many. I am very tempted to just turn up for Anastasia Act III (I suspect that's scheduled last to stop half the audience from sloping off early!)

[Lizbie1]

36 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

whereas when ROH offered packages, it felt like “instead of trying to flog off a production/programme that few people want to see by forcing us to book it in order to get a tiny discount, why don’t you just do a better programme or production, or better still, drop it altogether?” (That applies for both opera and ballet).

 

I find it surprising that you felt that way - as you are no doubt aware, subscriptions are very widespread in the opera and ballet world and the ROH was in fact an outlier in the limited way it offered them.

 

I've mentioned it before, but the RB and RO receive less subsidy per ticket sold than certain other companies. That surely needs to be taken into consideration when comparing their prices.

 

I've sometimes criticised ROH for targeting specific (i.e. my!) areas of the auditorium for above average price rises, but as a few others have said, I don't see that they have much choice but to increase prices: they're not doing it because they're greedy and rapacious, or for fun! Or do people here support job losses in the corps, or making the orchestra freelance, for example? There are no doubt some behind the scenes efficiency savings that might be made but they never amount to much in reality. And anyway, how far do we want to go down that route? I've seen it suggested on occasion that the costume department could do things cheaper - but this is a cultural institution of international renown and their costumes are part of that reputation: I don't want them to be made with any less attention to detail. Cheeseparing should have no place on the ROH stage, IMO - and you can tell when it happens! (There are a few opera productions where corners have clearly been cut.)

 

I'm more receptive to the idea of putting on fewer audience-repelling mixed bills, but we're repeatedly told that the dancers want them and that the RB *must* create new works every season.

[bangorballetboy]

On 01/12/2022 at 14:46, Emeralds said:

 

Now, audiences accept that ballet and opera will cost more than a play or a symphony

 

Not quite sure the underlying premise there is true.

 

Tickets for To Kill a Mockingbird at the Gielgud on a Saturday evening are between £60 and £177.50.  For Moulin Rouge at the Piccadilly, it's between £29.50 (for the tickets right in the back corner of the balcony) and £250 and for Cabaret at the Playhouse, it's £120 to £300.

 

 

[Mary]

I fully agree Lizbie1 - cutting quality is the wrong direction, and just to add that I am also happy to pay more for ROH knowing I will not be sitting next to people eating and drinking, so I hope they don't start allowing that in a desperate bid to make money.

I don't like all the bills either, but the choice of production should not just be decided on whether it can easily fill the theatre- we know where that would lead in the end.

 

In the end though only better state subsidy or more private support is going to make the sums add up.

 

 

[art_enthusiast]

2 minutes ago, Mary said:

I don't like all the bills either, but the choice of production should not just be decided on whether it can easily fill the theatre- we know where that would lead in the end.

 

If they did another Ashton triple, wouldn't that be a guaranteed sell out as well as a continued homage to his legacy? Given how much the loyal audience members want to see more Ashton, and I believe the triple bill earlier this year may have brought in new fans?

[Blossom]

33 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

Not quite sure the underlying premise there is true.

 

Tickets for To Kill a Mockingbird at the Gielgud on a Saturday evening are between £60 and £177.50.  For Moulin Rouge at the Piccadilly, it's between £29.50 (for the tickets right in the back corner of the balcony) and £250 and for Cabaret at the Playhouse, it's £120 to £300.

 

 

But Mockingbird offers a number of affordable seats including stalls for £30 which makes it more accessible to all

[Mary]

10 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said:

 

If they did another Ashton triple, wouldn't that be a guaranteed sell out as well as a continued homage to his legacy? Given how much the loyal audience members want to see more Ashton, and I believe the triple bill earlier this year may have brought in new fans?

It is what I want to see! - but is it a guaranteed sell out?   I don't know.

 

Some of the new pieces must also be aimed at pleasing the Arts Council- they can't risk losing that funding.

 

 

 

 

[Emeralds]

On 01/12/2022 at 22:16, Lizbie1 said:

I find it surprising that you felt that way - as you are no doubt aware, subscriptions are very widespread in the opera and ballet world and the ROH was in fact an outlier in the limited way it offered them.

 

I've mentioned it before, but the RB and RO receive less subsidy per ticket sold than certain other companies. That surely needs to be taken into consideration when comparing their prices.

 

I've sometimes criticised ROH for targeting specific (i.e. my!) areas of the auditorium for above average price rises, but as a few others have said, I don't see that they have much choice but to increase prices: they're not doing it because they're greedy and rapacious, or for fun! Or do people here support job losses in the corps, or making the orchestra freelance, for example? There are no doubt some behind the scenes efficiency savings that might be made but they never amount to much in reality. And anyway, how far do we want to go down that route? I've seen it suggested on occasion that the costume department could do things cheaper - but this is a cultural institution of international renown and their costumes are part of that reputation: I don't want them to be made with any less attention to detail. Cheeseparing should have no place on the ROH stage, IMO - and you can tell when it happens! (There are a few opera productions where corners have clearly been cut.)

 

I'm more receptive to the idea of putting on fewer audience-repelling mixed bills, but we're repeatedly told that the dancers want them and that the RB *must* create new works every season.

ENB and BRB offering a discount for booking all their programmes offered (even if that’s just 2 or 3 different ballets or mixed bills) is considered a subscription as that’s what most dance companies abroad offer also. 

 

ROH have currently stopped doing subscriptions (ie their packages) but previously they would stipulate, “all ballets except Nutcracker”, “all operas except Tosca (or similar high selling production)” or they wouldn’t d say “except what”, but instead to list the productions that were eligible, whereupon you’d notice that Nutcracker or Swan Lake, or a Tosca or Traviata with a high profile star wasn’t included on the list. Which makes the package or subscription not much of an attraction when they had oddly programmed mixed bills or a high risk new full length opera or ballet they were hoping to generate more sales for. 

 

If you criticise ROH for targeting your area of the auditorium then concede that they need to....er, Lizbie1, aren’t you’re contradicting yourself? Are you right  or are they right ? My advice is that they leave lower priced (and lower comfort and less optimal sightlines) areas like the Amphitheatre prices relatively lower than other parts of the house ie £70 or below for ballet, £99 or below for opera. which are already steep compared to many cities worldwide, and increase the prices elsewhere. There is scope for making the first row of seats of each tier (Stalls Circle, Grand Tier, Balcony, and Front Amphitheatre) and row slightly more expensive than the rest of that section because there is obvious benefit of sitting in the front, unemcumbered by having no heads in front of you. Grand Tier gives a better view than Stalls Circle and Orchestra Stalls so for the full length classics there is scope to increase the price  further. (I notice they’ve already done the first row increase for the Balcony and Stalls Circle from January 2023, but not for other tiers.) 

 

ROH already employs people on freelance terms in the orchestra, backstage and production departments. Making the entire orchestra freelance will actually cost more as they play virtually every night for opera and ballet, so the separate fees for each performance and rehearsing under different conductors would work out to be more expensive than their current system.

 

I’m afraid the production values you describe have already dropped at ROH. This season they mounted a new opera production - Alcina  - with higher prices to match, which contained a “wall” with doors to open and shut that looked like a makeshift MDF screen- and when the singers open and shut the doors, the whole set wobbles and it looks tacky and cheap. Conversely, the ENO’s new Tosca sets and costumes looked elegant  and high quality, even though they had £10 and £30 tickets in the balcony and upper circle with unrestricted views.

 

Members here have also reported numerous times on the recent drop in standards of orchestra playing in Romeo and Juliet at ROH in several  seasons, in certain sections. I haven’t heard a decent RB performance of the R&J score in years. The NYO (a youth orchestra) played it better at the Proms- so nice not to hear wrong notes in the brass at high points of the score for a change! For consistency, ENB’s orchestra and BRB’s RB Sinfonia are now far better. (I haven’t heard Northern Ballet or Scottish Ballet’s orchestras recently, and was disappointed not to be able to catch them in Woking and Sadler’s Wells respectively). Also, the ROH jettisoning of their previous productions of the operas Carmen and La Boheme and lavishing money on drab and cheaper looking productions with artistic production flaws has led to dramatic falls in ticket sales for their (long) runs- perhaps they should look at recouping money by bringing back the old productions instead of squeezing RB patrons. 

 

Some mixed bills eg Ashton do sell out and are popular so the numbers of shows of those should increase and the ticket prices for those can be a little higher than those for modern works eg the Weathering & DGV Bill. RB needs to put on new works or they would no longer be an elite company but a second tier one. They could pair one with classics in the same programme or have 2 variations of a mixed bill in the same with different new works and different casts in the classic eg an Ashton that we all want to see return! Also, to increase sales I wouldn’t advertise triple bills as “Ashton triple bill” but name the ballets eg “A Month in the Country”, “The Dream” -with a subheading “The Royal Ballet’s classic  based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (words to that effect), “Marguerite and Armand-Ashton’s masterpiece created for Fonteyn and Nureyev” (and so on). Fonteyn name still resonates with the public.

Edited December 3, 2022 by Emeralds

[Emeralds]

19 hours ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

Not quite sure the underlying premise there is true.

 

Tickets for To Kill a Mockingbird at the Gielgud on a Saturday evening are between £60 and £177.50.  For Moulin Rouge at the Piccadilly, it's between £29.50 (for the tickets right in the back corner of the balcony) and £250 and for Cabaret at the Playhouse, it's £120 to £300.

 

 

Those are West End productions with no public subsidy, hence the high prices. For comparison, you have to compare ROH with subsidised theatres such as NT, RSC. 

Edited December 3, 2022 by Emeralds

[bangorballetboy]

1 hour ago, Emeralds said:

Those are West End productions with no public subsidy, hence the high prices. For comparison, you have to compare ROH with subsidised theatres such as NT, RSC. 

Your original post to which I was responding said nothing about subsidised theatre, only the perception of most people around ticket prices. To be honest, “most people” go to the west end and regional theatres rather than the NT or RSC.

[Lizbie1]

2 hours ago, Emeralds said:

If you criticise ROH for targeting your area of the auditorium then concede that they need to....er, Lizbie1, aren’t you’re contradicting yourself? Are you right  or are they right ?

 

That was kind of my point (though I specifically meant that increases were proportionately higher in certain parts of the auditorium) - that it's easy to moan but less easy to come up with solutions.

 

2 hours ago, Emeralds said:

ROH have currently stopped doing subscriptions (ie their packages) but previously they would stipulate, “all ballets except Nutcracker”, “all operas except Tosca (or similar high selling production)” or they wouldn’t d say “except what”, but instead to list the productions that were eligible, whereupon you’d notice that Nutcracker or Swan Lake, or a Tosca or Traviata with a high profile star wasn’t included on the list. Which makes the package or subscription not much of an attraction when they had oddly programmed mixed bills or a high risk new full length opera or ballet they were hoping to generate more sales for. 

 

They also offered a free-form subscription, albeit with less generous discounts. (And I can think of at least one major company where Nutcracker is exempted from the subscription. I suppose that where this happens it's because they're certain of selling out or as close to selling out that it makes no financial sense to offer discounts.)

 

2 hours ago, Emeralds said:

ROH already employs people on freelance terms in the orchestra, backstage and production departments. Making the entire orchestra freelance will actually cost more as they play virtually every night for opera and ballet, so the separate fees for each performance and rehearsing under different conductors would work out to be more expensive than their current system.

 

Well yes! - that touches on my point about efficiency savings not generally helping much.

 

2 hours ago, Emeralds said:

Members here have also reported numerous times on the recent drop in standards of orchestra playing in Romeo and Juliet at ROH in several  seasons, in certain sections. I haven’t heard a decent RB performance of the R&J score in years.

 

If you're referring to some of the brass section, this is not new and has been speculated to be related to long-serving members of the orchestra who are tok expensive to replace. On the bright side, I amd others have noticed an improvement this season so maybe the situation has been resolved.

 

2 hours ago, Emeralds said:

I’m afraid the production values you describe have already dropped at ROH. This season they mounted a new opera production - Alcina  - with higher prices to match, which contained a “wall” with doors to open and shut that looked like a makeshift MDF screen- and when the singers open and shut the doors, the whole set wobbles and it looks tacky and cheap.

 

I think we are actually in agreement here.

 

More generally, I don't want to sound critical but sometimes posts can come across as assuming less knowledge from other posters than is in reality fairly widespread on this forum. It's good to explain things clearly but I always make the assumption of familiarity with the RB and the ROH itself on RB-specific threads. And if I assume too much (can't remember when this has happened!) people will generally ask for clarification.

[Geoff]

2 hours ago, Lizbie1 said:

If you're referring to some of the brass section, this is not new and has been speculated to be related to long-serving members of the orchestra who are tok expensive to replace. On the bright side, I amd others have noticed an improvement this season so maybe the situation has been resolved.

 

I find that band - brass included - is still, um, variable. Depends on what night you go...