ROH 23/24 season announced

[Blossom]

I've just reached out to the Friends team about this.

It's frantic enough on booking day without adding the additional hurdle of not being able to plan which dates to compromise on seating vs which dates to get more expensive tickets. We've also had  2 booking periods (at least) where some of us have only been able to book when using an incognito browser window, so this feels like yet another barrier has been put in place.  If interactive seating maps aren't available, they need to find a way to share a PDF version.

[Blossom]

Everything seems to be up this morning and working except for Don Q...

[capybara]

The first casting I saw listed Takada/Acri for the 28th October evening. Now it’s showing as Naghdi/Ball. Does anyone know why there has been a change? Takada/Acri now have the 11th November only.

I can come up with some theories but not facts.

[Richard LH]

20 minutes ago, capybara said:

The first casting I saw listed Takada/Acri for the 28th October evening. Now it’s showing as Naghdi/Ball. Does anyone know why there has been a change? Takada/Acri now have the 11th November only.

I can come up with some theories but not facts.

Just spotted this too @capybara.....very disappointing as this promises to be  such a great pairing,  and deserves more than one outing.

[LinMM]

I was looking again at the Don Q casting yesterday evening and saw the Takada Acri pairing and was looking for a second one but couldn’t see one. Did they originally have two? 
As I’m not a Friend I can’t see the prices for this when go into the seating map ….but am assuming will only be going twice …and this pairing is one I would definitely like to see. 

[Richard LH]

4 minutes ago, LinMM said:

I was looking again at the Don Q casting yesterday evening and saw the Takada Acri pairing and was looking for a second one but couldn’t see one. Did they originally have two? 

Yes they were originally also down for 28th Oct evening as stated by @capybara above. One performance only seems somewhat of an insult somehow - albeit better than none!

[art_enthusiast]

9 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

Yes they were originally also down for 28th Oct evening as stated by @capybara above. One performance only seems somewhat of an insult somehow - albeit better than none!

 

That's so annoying - I had a feeling this would happen though.

So who has their second performance?

[Guest oncnp]

2 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said:

 

That's so annoying - I had a feeling this would happen though.

So who has their second performance?

 Naghdi/Ball. per @capybara above

[LinMM]

Can you say why you had a feeling this might happen though art_enthusiast? 

[Swan]

2 hours ago, capybara said:

The first casting I saw listed Takada/Acri for the 28th October evening. Now it’s showing as Naghdi/Ball. Does anyone know why there has been a change? Takada/Acri now have the 11th November only.

I can come up with some theories but not facts.

I really wanted to see Takada/Acri on 28 October as I can’t make the 11 November performance. 😢

[Bluebird]

3 hours ago, capybara said:

The first casting I saw listed Takada/Acri for the 28th October evening. Now it’s showing as Naghdi/Ball. Does anyone know why there has been a change? Takada/Acri now have the 11th November only.

I can come up with some theories but not facts.

 

I just checked the website and October 28 evening is  now showing as Takada/Acri. Maybe a 'clerical error' caused the website casting to be changed?

Edited July 6, 2023 by Bluebird

[JohnS]

3 minutes ago, Bluebird said:

'clerical error'

Surely ‘mis-step’ not ‘error’?

[FionaM]

An error is an error.  Why can’t they just be honest and apologise.  We’d have more respect.  
 

This kind of ‘fudging’ is a reflection of senior management attitude, which does not fill me with confidence.  

[capybara]

34 minutes ago, Bluebird said:

I just checked the website and October 28 evening is  now showing as Takada/Acri. Maybe a 'clerical error' caused the website casting to be changed?

A friend contacted the Box Office yesterday and had confirmation that Naghdi/Ball was correct. Presumably all the ROH staff member did in order to reply was to look online rather than research the matter.

 

How ever did this ‘clerical error’ occur? Does no one check against the RB verified list before the information typed in online goes live?

 

Very pleased (especially for Akane and Luca) that order has been restored but errors of this kind seem to be indicative of slack practice throughout the ROH.
 

And how, exactly, are they planning to ensure that people who booked for the 28th Eve know that they have the  cast they thought they had?

[RobR]

Yes, definitely Akane and Luca

[Swan]

Really pleased that their performance is back but this morning I bought a ticket to The Limit on 28th instead and can’t make 11th. Frustrating! 

[art_enthusiast]

2 hours ago, LinMM said:

Can you say why you had a feeling this might happen though art_enthusiast? 

 

Not really, only that I'm always prevented from seeing Akane Takada perform by something

 

And the fact that as Luca Acri is a first soloist, he might only have got one show - as Claire Calvert did for Swan Lake. (She should have got 2, that performance was amazing!)

 

I missed Takada in Sleeping Beauty this year when there was a cast change, so I was really hoping to see her Kitri.

[capybara]

My personal view is that Luca Acri is going to be a terrific Basilio.

[RobR]

[Richard LH]

On 06/07/2023 at 13:17, art_enthusiast said:

 

Not really, only that I'm always prevented from seeing Akane Takada perform by something

 

And the fact that as Luca Acri is a first soloist, he might only have got one show - as Claire Calvert did for Swan Lake. (She should have got 2, that performance was amazing!)

 

I missed Takada in Sleeping Beauty this year when there was a cast change, so I was really hoping to see her Kitri.

I feel your pain @art_enthusiast! So let us hope for an injury-free season for Akane (and indeed all for the dancers) and that you now get to see her perform Kitri.

 

If you want to see her in the role in advance, it is possible to buy a disc of this from Japan, in the last run (with Alex Campbell); unfortunately the ROH didn't release it here.

 

Whilst I am very pleased that Akane and Luca are back on for the 28th October, it is frustrating that the error means a somewhat more limited seat choice  than I could have had yesterday.

 

 

[Richard LH]

On 06/07/2023 at 12:47, Swan said:

Really pleased that their performance is back but this morning I bought a ticket to The Limit on 28th instead and can’t make 11th. Frustrating! 

At least the ROH provide credit vouchers if you want to return tickets for a booking, so you could consider cancelling The Limit and booking Don Q. instead....

[Swan]

9 hours ago, Richard LH said:

At least the ROH provide credit vouchers if you want to return tickets for a booking, so you could consider cancelling The Limit and booking Don Q. instead....

Great suggestion and I contacted the box office after receiving their cast change apology email asking to change my tickets. Given that my buying decisions were based in incorrect information, I asked whether they would they waive the fee. The answer was no.

[capybara]

58 minutes ago, Swan said:

 Given that my buying decisions were based in incorrect information, I asked whether they would they waive the fee. The answer was no.

That is disgraceful. If I were you, I would create a huge fuss about this. 

I note that the letter sent to those who booked for the 28th Don Q avoided mentioning free exchanges. But this was not a cast change in the normal sense of their T & Cs, it was downright carelessness on the part of the ROH.

 

 

Edited July 8, 2023 by capybara

[Linnzi5]

1 hour ago, Swan said:

Great suggestion and I contacted the box office after receiving their cast change apology email asking to change my tickets. Given that my buying decisions were based in incorrect information, I asked whether they would they waive the fee. The answer was no.

I am very surprised to hear this. The reason I say that is that I had to return a ticket yesterday. When I booked on Thursday, I did so on my phone and stupidly booked the wrong ticket! I booked two, but because I was in a rush and on a phone, the seating map is smaller than on my laptop, I accidentally booked one of the tickets in the row behind (yes, stupid!) I didn’t realise until later in the day and then purchased the correct ticket in case it was sold before I could phone the box office.

i didn’t get time to phone the box office until the next day. The lady I spoke to was brilliant. She not only waived the £4 fee, she offered to refund the money to my card (I took the credit as I will use it). I was happily surprised and impressed with the service I received.

 

As booking the wrong ticket was my mistake I knew I’d have to pay a £4 fee so was really taken aback by the offer to waive it, so I am surprised that your £4 fee was necessary when you booked a ticket and then cancelled because of an admin error with casting on the website - that was not your fault.

 

I’d phone again. Maybe it depends who you speak to. The lady I spoke to was lovely, friendly and sympathetic. I didn’t ask for the fee to be waived, she offered (same for the credit card refund) I just asked to return the ticket. So, Box Office really, really impressed me. 
 

I hope you can get some satisfaction from contacting ROH again. 😊

 

Edited July 8, 2023 by Linnzi5
Formatting

[LinMM]

Ive had the fee waived twice now when expecting to pay it …once when I had to change tickets because of the weather last December! And another time when I realised I couldn’t sit in a seat ( which I’d tried out whilst at another performance) I’d booked because of vertigo issues! 
Maybe it does depend who you end up speaking  to and on both occasions I certainly didn’t ask for the fee to be waived. So they can be really helpful at times. 

[MJW]

1 hour ago, Linnzi5 said:

I am very surprised to hear this. The reason I say that is that I had to return a ticket yesterday. When I booked on Thursday, I did so on my phone and stupidly booked the wrong ticket! I booked two, but because I was in a rush and on a phone, the seating map is smaller than on my laptop, I accidentally booked one of the tickets in the row behind (yes, stupid!) I didn’t realise until later in the day and then purchased the correct ticket in case it was sold before I could phone the box office.

i didn’t get time to phone the box office until the next day. The lady I spoke to was brilliant. She not only waived the £4 fee, she offered to refund the money to my card (I took the credit as I will use it). I was happily surprised and impressed with the service I received.

 

As booking the wrong ticket was my mistake I knew I’d have to pay a £4 fee so was really taken aback by the offer to waive it, so I am surprised that your £4 fee was necessary when you booked a ticket and then cancelled because of an admin error with casting on the website - that was not your fault.

 

I’d phone again. Maybe it depends who you speak to. The lady I spoke to was lovely, friendly and sympathetic. I didn’t ask for the fee to be waived, she offered (same for the credit card refund) I just asked to return the ticket. So, Box Office really, really impressed me. 
 

I hope you can get some satisfaction from contacting ROH again. 😊

 

 

I had a similar experience earlier in the year when booking a rehearsal for the Barber of Seville in January. Somehow I managed to book my two tickets in completely different rows. Spoke to someone at the Box Office straightaway and the incorrect ticket was cancelled without any fuss or bother, even though the error was mine.

[Swan]

Thank you @capybara, @MJW, @LinMM, @Richard LH and @Linnzi5 for your comments and advice. I’ve been communicating by email and am waiting for a further response. I don’t mind a credit as I will use it and paying the fee isn’t an issue as it does go into the ROH coffers to cover costs.

 

I just felt it would be fairer to waive as they had made the error but I’ll see what come back with.

[Rob S]

Given the ROH mistake has been spotted and corrected before seats have been available to Friends, letalone the general public, a limited number of people requesting an exchange due to an ROH admin error at this stage should have the fee waived

[capybara]

This ‘incident’ is symptomatic of a lack of ‘connectedness on the part of many ROH staff. OK, the person in the Box Office may have been new in the job but, at the most basic level, employees need to understand how important casting is to ballet regulars. 
 

I have frequently delivered flowers to the stage door and, despite their being clearly labelled and intended for one of the leads that night, have found myself having to explain who the dancer is because a (usually well known) name wasn’t recognised.

 

One wonders what kind of induction processes and service standards are in place in the ROH.

[Guest oncnp]

1 hour ago, Swan said:

Thank you @capybara, @MJW, @LinMM, @Richard LH and @Linnzi5 for your comments and advice. I’ve been communicating by email and am waiting for a further response. I don’t mind a credit as I will use it and paying the fee isn’t an issue as it does go into the ROH coffers to cover costs.

 

I just felt it would be fairer to waive as they had made the error but I’ll see what come back with.

If you are communicating by email (and if you haven't already) try the customer service address....

 

customerservices@roh.org.uk

 

In the past this has been answered by Graham Boland, Customer Services Manager, who has been quite helpful. 

 

Edited July 8, 2023 by oncnp

[Swan]

I have good news! I’ve just received a lovely apology email from the box office waiving fees and offering a combination of credit and refund.

 

Thanks again for all of your suggestions.

[San Perregrino]

2 hours ago, capybara said:

how important casting is to ballet regulars.

Although I agree with this, we must, however, continue to bear in mind that any casting advertised months before a performance must be accepted as only provisional and this is always clearly stated when booking.

The joy that is the depth and breadth of RB talent guarantees a great night of ballet even if one is initially disappointed because one’s preferred first choice doesn’t dance on the night itself. 

[capybara]

20 minutes ago, PeterS said:

Although I agree with this, we must, however, continue to bear in mind that any casting advertised months before a performance must be accepted as only provisional and this is always clearly stated when booking.

The joy that is the depth and breadth of RB talent guarantees a great night of ballet even if one is initially disappointed because one’s preferred first choice doesn’t dance on the night itself. 

That goes without saying @PeterS but the conversation here was about booking information, not unavoidable cast changes and I, for one, wanted to see Akane and Luca as well as my other choices.