ROH 23/24 season announced

[PatC]

Nothing to stop my October trip to see NYCB in Balanchine then!! 👍🏻

[Anna C]

8 minutes ago, JNC said:

Manon

I still think we shouldn’t be obliged this every other year

To be fair, it’s every third season, isn’t it?  We get Romeo & Juliet, Mayerling, and Manon in rotation.  
 

Manon’s one of my favourite ballets so I’m always happy to see it return.

[emmarose]

10 minutes ago, Silke H said:

Overall I'm quite happy with next season's offerings, there'll always be pieces included I have no interest in.  For example, I'll happily skip The Dante Project, and I hope that Anemoi/The Cellist remains in that order so that I can have early-ish nights by leaving after Anemoi.

I feel for the RB Corps ladies with 30-something Swan Lakes, another tour de force for them.

 

Now, I'm eager to find out the ticket pricing structure for the 23/24 season (especially after those recent surveys).

 

There has to be some things we're not interested in otherwise we'd be bankrupt! (especially with those prices) 

[JNC]

2 minutes ago, Anna C said:

To be fair, it’s every third season, isn’t it?  We get Romeo & Juliet, Mayerling, and Manon in rotation.  
 

Manon’s one of my favourite ballets so I’m always happy to see it return.

Ah yes my mistake. It feels like every other year though to me! I agree I also love it but I would prefer a variety of programming! 

[emmarose]

9 minutes ago, PatC said:

Nothing to stop my October trip to see NYCB in Balanchine then!! 👍🏻

 

The best place to see it anyway! I long to see Tiler Peck live in Balanchine.

[JNC]

May have to go to Paris to see Fille now! 

[Sim]

1 minute ago, JNC said:

May have to go to Paris to see Fille now! 

I'm in!  Very sad that we have to do that, but hey, a trip to Paris is never a bad thing (assuming no strikes or street demos....).

[Pulcinella]

I don't know if people have waded all the way down the press release but the Sarasota ballets are interesting. Although it says Main Stage at the top these performances will actually be in the Linbury. I'm particularly thrilled by Valses nobles et sentimentales as I've never seen it and although I saw Sinfonietta when it was first performed I can't remember much about it.

 

THE SARASOTA BALLET
Main Stage
4 – 9 June 2024
Part of Ashton Celebrated
Choreography Frederick Ashton
Two programmes to include:
Valses nobles et sentimentales
Music Maurice Ravel
Design Sophie Fedorovitch
Dante Sonata
Music Franz Liszt
Design Sophie Fedorovitch
Sinfonietta
Music Malcolm Williamson
Design after Peter Rice
Façade
Music William Walton
Design John Armstrong
Part of Ashton Worldwide, the Frederick Ashton Foundation’s international festival 2024 —
2028
The Sarasota Ballet has grown over the past decade into one of America’s leading ballet
companies, garnering acclaim for its extensive repertory of Frederick Ashton’s works. Director
Iain Webb and Assistant Director Margaret Barbieri, former Royal Ballet dancers, bring to the
Linbury Theatre a selection of works, shown over two programmes, that pays tribute to Ashton’s
remarkable choreographic range and celebrates his legacy as Founder Choreographer of The

Royal Ballet and a pioneer of 20th-century ballet. Works shown will include Valses nobles et
sentimentales, Dante Sonata, Sinfonietta and Façade, among others.

[Emeralds]

35 minutes ago, Jane S said:

No designer listed for Les Rendezvous, so maybe they've ditched the polka dots?

Hopefully the same costumes that were used by the Royal Ballet School several  years ago (when Reece Clarke and Gina Storm-Jensen performed)? 

Edited April 26, 2023 by Emeralds

[Jan McNulty]

I've decided to publish this so I didn't feel as though I'd wasted a couple of hours of my life formatting it!

 

Press Release

The Royal Opera House announces 2023/24

Season 

Public booking opens on Wednesday 2 August

 

The Royal Opera House today announces its 2023/24 Season, unveiling a bold programme of thrilling new work, UK premieres and much-loved revivals, alongside the biggest national learning programme in our history, exciting new regional partnerships, and a host of daytime events, behind the scenes tours, exhibitions and artistic Insights at our home in the heart of Covent Garden.

 

The Royal Ballet Season

The Royal Ballet presents a tapestry of works that celebrate the Company’s rich heritage and celebrated house choreographers, and brings creativity into spaces across the Royal Opera House with a Festival of New Choreography. The Season features revivals from Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan alongside contemporary classics by Wayne McGregor, Christopher Wheeldon and Cathy Marston.

 

The Company’s illustrious legacy from Founder Choreographer Frederick Ashton and Principal Choreographer Kenneth MacMillan is marked in a number of productions. Ashton’s boundless invention is displayed in two mixed programmes, with The Dream and his virtuosic Rhapsody. One of these programmes also features Les Rendezvous while the other includes Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan, Hamlet and Ophelia, and a guest performance by The Sarasota Ballet of The Walk to the Paradise Garden. The Sarasota Ballet will also demonstrate the genius of Ashton in the Linbury Theatre with a vibrant array of his creative output. The Royal Ballet and The Sarasota Ballet’s Ashton performances during the Season mark the opening of ASHTON WORLDWIDE, the Frederick Ashton Foundation’s five-year international festival conceived to celebrate the work and legacy of Frederick Ashton.  Further information on the festival will be announced by the Foundation in due course.

 

Kenneth MacMillan’s dramatic flair is celebrated with the romantic tragedy Manon, which this Season celebrates its 50th birthday, and a mixed programme – Requiem, Danses Concertantes and Different Drummer - plus performances and a film premiere by Yorke Dance Project, illustrating the choreographer’s exceptional artistic development across the decades.

 

In other revivals, Carlos Acosta’s vibrant production of Don Quixote opens the Season for The Royal Ballet. This celebrated production, which premiered in 2013, is the perfect showcase for a Company dancing at its peak. The enduringly popular 19th-century classics The Nutcracker and Swan Lake will also feature in the Season.

 

Royal Ballet Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor’s The Dante Project returns following its critically-acclaimed world premiere in 2021. Inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy, the afterlife is brought into blazing life through the poetic vision of McGregor and his creative team, including pioneering composer Thomas Adès and artist Tacita Dean.

 

Artistic Associate of The Royal Ballet Christopher Wheeldon’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s late romance The Winter’s Tale celebrates its 10th anniversary. With striking designs by Bob Crowley and atmospheric music by Joby Talbot, The Winter’s Tale is widely considered a modern ballet classic.

 

Two award-winning works, Cathy Marston’s The Cellist, which takes its inspiration from the life and music of Jacqueline du Pré, and Valentino Zucchetti’s breezy Anemoi, receive their first revivals in a mixed programme of powerful musical heft.

 

The Festival of New Choreography champions new and diverse choreographic voices through the many spaces of our iconic Covent Garden home. A collection of new work will be seen on the Main Stage, and also included is an immersive new work for The Royal Ballet by Robert Binet presented in the Linbury Theatre and co-produced by the National Ballet of Canada.

 

The Royal Ballet presents the world premiere of a new production in the Linbury Theatre adapted from the play Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons by Sam Steiner. The Limit combines spoken word and dance with choreography by Royal Ballet Principal Character Artist Kristen McNally and direction by Ed Madden and features Royal Ballet Principals Francesca Hayward and Alexander Campbell in one of the casts. The Limit is set to a newly commissioned score by Isobel Waller-Bridge, who composed the score for the BBC series Fleabag as well as film scores for Vita and Virginia (2018) and Emma (2020).

 

We look to the future with our continued development of emerging creative and performing talent with Draft Works, International Draft Works and the Next Generation Festival. The Royal Ballet continues its long-standing commitment to fostering dance partnerships, with Northern Ballet, Fallen Angels Dance Theatre, Ballet Black and Sydney Dance Company in the Linbury Theatre.

 

Fallen Angels Dance Theatre make their Linbury Theatre debut. Led by Artistic Director Paul Bayes Kitcher, former Birmingham Royal Ballet soloist, the award-winning company supports those recovering from addiction and mental health adversity through dance, performance and creativity. This work marks the first collaboration between Fallen Angels and New Note Orchestra, a Brighton-based collective of 18 musicians in recovery.

 

Northern Ballet return to the Linbury Theatre with a programme of new contemporary ballet, including the premiere of a new work by Royal Ballet Soloist Benjamin Ella and a work by New York City Ballet Principal Tiler Peck.

 

Ballet Black present a double bill featuring Will Tuckett’s Then or Now and Mthuthuzeli November’s Nina: By Whatever Means, a tribute to Nina Simone. Yorke Dance presents a new programme including work by Robert Cohan, Martha Graham and Kenneth MacMillan, and Sydney Dance Company make their Linbury Theatre debut.

 

On Wednesday 1 November, World Ballet Day, a much-loved global celebration that brings together over 50 of the world's leading ballet and dance companies, celebrates its tenth anniversary. Over the course of 24 hours, rehearsals, discussions and classes are streamed for free across six continents, offering unique behind-the-scenes glimpses of ballet’s biggest stars and exciting new performers.

 

Director of The Royal Ballet, Kevin O’Hare, said:

“As we approach next Season, we are thrilled to showcase the extraordinary artistry and skill of our brilliant dancers and orchestral performers in a fantastic range of heritage and award-winning contemporary classics. We also look forward to the creative energy that the Festival of New Choreography will bring to the whole of the Royal Opera House, and to continuing to spread the

love of ballet through our far-reaching global and UK-wide partnerships. We can’t wait to welcome back existing audiences and to connect with those new to the art form.”

 

 

The Royal Opera Season

The Royal Opera opens its Season with two landmark works on both of our stages. On the Main Stage, Antonio Pappano partners with Barrie Kosky for the first time to conduct a bold new imagining of Wagner's first chapter of the Ring cycle, Das Rheingold - a massive undertaking for any opera house with an outstanding cast including Christopher Maltman as Wotan and Christopher Purves as Alberich.

 

In the Linbury Theatre, George Benjamin and Martin Crimp bring us Picture a day like this – a major new work which receives its UK premiere following the world premiere this summer at the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence. After the historic success of Lessons in Love and Violence and Written on Skin, Benjamin and Crimp return alongside stage directors Daniel Jeanneteau and Marie-Christine Soma.

 

Antonio Pappano, whose first new production at the Royal Opera House was Christof Loy’s production of Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos in 2002, conducts his last new production at the Royal Opera House in Loy’s eagerly anticipated adaptation of Strauss's Elektra - uniting two of today’s leading dramatic sopranos: Nina Stemme in the title role, and Karita Mattila as the haunted queen Klytämnestra.

 

In May, a Farewell Gala Concert for Antonio Pappano will see a stellar cast of soloists perform alongside the Chorus and Orchestra in celebration of his 23-year tenure. Maestro Pappano will then lead a cast that includes his longtime collaborator Jonas Kaufmann, and Sondra Radvanovsky and Carlos Álvarez in a revival of David McVicar's lavish production of Giordano's Andrea Chénier.

 

In June 2024, The Royal Opera is delighted to be returning to Japan on tour for the first time since 2019 with performances at Bunka Kaikan Theatre and NHK Hall in Tokyo, and Kanagawa Kenmin Hall in Yokohama. Antonio Pappano will be conducting spectacular casts in Oliver Mears’s darkly elegant production of Verdi’s Rigoletto and Andrei Șerban’s classic staging of Puccini’s Turandot.

 

The Royal Opera's exploration into Handel's Covent Garden operas and oratorios continues with his final masterpiece, Jephtha, which premiered on this site in 1752. This epic new production is staged by Director of The Royal Opera Oliver Mears and is conducted by Handel specialist Laurence Cummings. Extraordinary tenor Allan Clayton performs the title role, joined by an outstanding, largely British cast including Jennifer France, Alice Coote and Brindley Sherratt.

 

Aigul Akhmetshina and Vasilisa Berzhanskaya share the role of Carmen in Damiano Michieletto's poetic, contemporary new staging of Bizet's beloved Carmen. Antonello Manacorda and Emmanuel Villaume conduct two accomplished casts in this sultry new production which evokes the passion and heat of Bizet's score.

 

Next Season, the Royal Opera collaborate with Fuel for the first time, presenting the world premiere of Woman & Machine - a ground-breaking binaural opera experience from Mercury- nominated songwriter ESKA, directed by Kirsty Housley. Incorporating the sonic worlds of the neonatal unit and the womb, with influences of contemporary, electronic and Zimbabwean Shona Music, this new work connects themes of life, survival and womanhood.

 

This Christmas, a range of family favourites return to our stages. Little Bulb’s Oliver award- winning Wolf Witch Giant Fairy will excite children and families in the Linbury Theatre with the original troupe of travelling players returning as the energetic ensemble cast, bringing this endearing folk opera to new audiences, young and old. On the main stage, music lovers of all ages can enjoy Antony McDonald's mischievous production of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, newly translated into English by Kelley Rourke. Mark Wigglesworth conducts two stellar casts including Anna Stéphany, Hanna Hipp, Anna Devin and Lauren Fagan.

 

Following the Irish National Opera’s (INO) Olivier award-winning Bajazet and Least Like The Other, INO and The Royal Opera present their third collaboration: a brand-new staging of Vivaldi’s 1734 opera, L'Olimpiade. The production is directed by Daisy Evans, with conductor Peter Wheelan leading the Irish Baroque Orchestra.

 

In April, the Jette Parker Artists present a thrilling double-bill. Eleanor Burke directs Martinů's surreal one-act opera Larmes de couteau and Harriet Taylor directs John Harbison’s adaptation of text from W.B. Yeats’ Full Moon in March. Both works are conducted by Edward Reeve, who will lead the Britten Sinfonia.

 

The 2023/24 Season also features a raft of beloved revivals including Christof Loy’s La Forza del Destino, Laurent Pelly’s L'elisir d'amore, Oliver Mears’s Rigoletto, Damiano Michieletto's heat- soaked double-bill Cavalleria rusticana/Pagliacci, Richard Jones’ production of La bohème, Jonathan Kent’s Tosca, Tim Albery’s production of Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman, Moshe Leiser’s and Patrice Caurier’s Madama Butterfly, Katie Mitchell’s production of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, and Jan Philipp Gloger’s production of Così fan tutte.

 

Director of The Royal Opera, Oliver Mears, said:

“Despite opera in the UK being under pressure as never before, The Royal Opera is determined to mark Antonio Pappano’s final season as Music Director with ambition and style across our diverse output. We embark on the mammoth task of a new Ring cycle directed by Barrie Kosky, produce eight thrilling new productions across both our stages, continue our Covent Garden Handel odyssey, and - as we have for three hundred years - present the very finest singers and conductors working in the world today. This will be a season our audiences will love - and a fitting final bow for one of our most treasured ever colleagues.”

 

Royal Opera House across the UK

The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet present 13 productions in 1500 cinemas across the globe next Season, including such beloved classics as Swan Lake and The Nutcracker and exciting new productions of Carmen, by Damiano Michieletto and Das Rheingold, by Barrie Kosky.

 

Message In A Bottle, the acclaimed dance theatre production by Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Kate Prince, set to the music of Grammy Award-winning artist Sting, has also been filmed for cinema release in May 2024, in partnership with Sadler's Wells and Universal Music UK. The international refugee crisis is at the centre of this production – an imagined story about one displaced family, and a universal story of loss, fear, survival, hope and love. Songs including 'Every Breath You Take', 'Roxanne', 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic' and 'Fields of Gold' feature in new arrangements.

 

This is on top of wider digital innovation as we make available 24 more productions on ROH Stream. These will include work from Wayne McGregor, and Joseph Toonga's See Us, as well as The Royal Ballet’s new production of Cinderella. These will be supported by a raft of new behind-the-scenes films, interviews and performances, including a celebration of Antonio Pappano's tenure as Music Director of The Royal Opera; a host of choreographic and vocal masterclasses; and exclusive World Ballet Day content, with rehearsals and insights from across its rich ten-year history.

 

We also announce our biggest, boldest and most impactful national learning programme to date, inspiring creativity of children and young people across the country. Our flagship Create & Learn programmes drive this national output, which sits alongside industry-leading talent development projects, a new partnership in South Yorkshire, with Rotherham, and a raft of daytime events, family activities and free concerts in our Covent Garden home.

 

In July, we unveil our first ever national Create Day, connecting more than 2,000 children across four locations around the country: Coventry, Doncaster, Thurrock and Covent Garden. Large scale events, connected via live broadcast, take place in each location and see participants perform pieces inspired by Crystal Pite’s Light of Passage, the culmination of months of work in schools around the UK. This will be expanded still further in 2024, with every school in the country being invited to take part, making it the largest shared cultural schools project ever hosted in the UK.

 

In Rotherham, we work with local partners to deliver a programme of activity with the aim of reaching every primary school in the region. The programme gives pupils aged 5-11 access to curriculum-linked lesson plans, in school workshops, the chance to see live performances at the Royal Opera House, and to participate in large-scale performance opportunities locally. It features a collaboration with the Rotherham Music Service on a performance at Magna Science Adventure Centre in June 2024, with more than 1,400 primary school children performing alongside artists of the Royal Opera House in a unique celebration of art, learning and participation. The programme intends to support the creative confidence of teachers and young people in the run up to Rotherham being the first Children's Capital of Culture in 2025.

 

Following on from the great legacy of ROH Bridge, we also launch ROH East, a dedicated new programme which works in Levelling Up for Culture schools across the East of England, building confidence of teachers and inspiring creativity of young people across Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and North Kent. We also celebrate the tenth anniversary of Thurrock Trailblazer, which has delivered arts initiatives to almost 100,000 children and young people in 57 schools across the region to date.

 

At home in Covent Garden

Following this Season’s programme of work in support of Ukraine and those displaced by the war, we continue to work with the displaced Ukrainian community inspiring hope through the collective act of singing. This builds on work undertaken across the 2022/23 Season with the Ukrainian community in London. This included the Songs for Ukraine project, as well as dedicated performances from both The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera, which helped to raise £450,000 for Disasters Emergency Committee's Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

 

Young ROH goes from strength-to-strength in its third year, with 10,000 tickets made available to 16–25-year-olds for just £30. The scheme has helped attract younger audiences, which now make up the single largest audience group at the Royal Opera House. This programme sits alongside six whole house Schools’ Matinees, offered at a heavily discounted rate to state school children, and the Paul Hamlyn Christmas Treat, offering a specially-invited audience the chance to see The Nutcracker in our first ever relaxed performance on the Main Stage. We will welcome more than 10,000 young people up and down the country as part of this project.

 

147 events take place in Covent Garden including 16 free Live at Lunch performances and 40 Insights, offering a unique behind-the scenes look at our resident companies. Many of these are broadcast online for free. We also unveil our biggest programme of guided tours to date, offering 11 unique behind-the-curtain experiences which promise to build on the more than 50,000 tour guests we welcomed last Season. This includes high teas, a look at our second home at the High House Production Park in Thurrock, and curated histories of the Royal Opera House through the lens of Pride and International Women's Day.

 

We unveil a host of thought-provoking free exhibitions and displays throughout next Season which bring our spaces to life and invite audiences to delve deeper behind the scenes. These include a celebration of the huge talent that was Maria Callas, celebrating the centennial of her birth, and a dedicated exhibition by photographer Mary McCartney who captured exclusive behind the scenes images of Wayne McGregor’s critically acclaimed ballet The Dante Project. There will also be commemorative displays of beautiful historical costumes including a celebration of the centenary of Nicholas Georgiadis who designed sumptuous costumes for Kenneth MacMillan ballets including Manon and Mayerling.

 

Nurturing Talent

We continue our efforts to offer new projects that develop future talent and drive diversity across both of our art forms and the industry. Following the success of our Pilot Orchestra Mentorship programme in 2022/23, we launch ‘Overture’ in partnership with Black Lives in Music, continuing to work with young musicians aged 18-25 from the global majority or other underrepresented backgrounds to provide essential mentoring tailored to the participants’

individual needs while enhancing skill sets, insight and training in the classical music field.

 

Over the Season, we run six more Creative Exchanges with community groups around London, providing a creative space for Royal Opera House artists and external participants to come together, share their experiences and create their own work inspired by ballet and opera stories.

 

Chance to Dance, our flagship programme aimed at giving primary school children from areas with limited artistic provision their first opportunity to engage creatively with ballet, expands to include five areas, and the Youth Opera Company, our in-house chorus of 50+ state school children, perform in two main stage productions: Cavalleria rusticana/Pagliacci and Carmen.

 

The Jette Parker Artists recruit an additional seven international artists to take their first steps on the international stage; and we welcome our biggest ever cohort of apprentices (15) into a range of departments across the organisation- including roles in costume, lighting, technical and production, IT, and marketing.

 

Alex Beard, Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House, said:

“I am delighted to introduce our extraordinary 2023/24 Season - a Season packed with bold and exciting new work and much-loved revivals, alongside the biggest and most impactful programme of national learning work in our history. We make full use of our iconic Covent Garden home with a full schedule of daytime events, tours, exhibitions and artistic insights, and continue to secure the future of ballet and opera with our ongoing programme of talent development and innovative creative partnerships.”

 

Join us in person, watch in cinemas, via ROH Stream, or experience our work through programmes country wide. Tickets are from £9 across the Season.

 

New production
The Royal Opera
DAS RHEINGOLD 

Main Stage
11 - 29 September 2023

Music Richard Wagner
Conductor Antonio Pappano
Director Barrie Kosky
Set Designer Rufus Didwiszus 

Costume Designer Victoria Behr 

Lighting Designer Alessandro Carletti

 

Wotan Christopher Maltman 

Alberich Christopher Purves 

Loge Sean Panikkar
Fricka Marina Prudenskaya 

Freia Kiandra Howarth

Erda Wiebke Lehmkuhl 

Donner Kostas Smoriginas 

Froh Rodrick Dixon

Mime Brenton Ryan

Fasolt In Sung Sim
Fafner Soloman Howard 

Woglinde Katharina Konradi 

Wellgunde Niamh O’Sullivan 

Flosshilde Marvic Monreal

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Sung in German with English surtitles

 

Position of Music Director Maestro Antonio Pappano generously supported by Mrs Susan A. Olde OBE.

Exceptional philanthropic commitments for the Ring cycle from Ring Chairman’s Circle Alex and Elena Gerko, Ring Principal Benefactors Charles Holloway, and Ring Benefactors Ingemo and Karl Otto Bonnier and Christopher and Sarah Smith Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing, Mrs Philip Kan, Fondation Socindec, Peter and Fiona Espenhahn, Philipp Freise, Maureen Wheeler, Simon and Virginia Robertson, the Das Rheingold Production Syndicate and an anonymous donor.

 

When a precious hoard of gold is stolen from the river Rhine, it unleashes a chain of destructive events, pitting gods and mortals against one another for generations. Wagner’s Ring cycle boasts some of the greatest music ever written for the opera stage. Join us as we embark on a spectacular journey into the world of myth, dream and memory, with the figure of Erda – Mother Earth herself – at its centre.

 

Antonio Pappano conducts Barrie Kosky’s bold new imagining of Wagner’s Das Rheingold – which marks the start of a new Ring cycle at The Royal Opera – with an outstanding cast including Christopher Maltman (Wotan) and Christopher Purves (Alberich).

 

The Royal Opera

LA FORZA DEL DESTINO

Main Stage
19 September – 9 October 2023
A co-production with De Nationale Opera

Music Giuseppe Verdi 

Conductor Mark Elder 

Director Christof Loy 

Designer Christian Schmidt 

Lighting Designer Olaf Winter 

Choreographer Otto Pichler

 

Donna Leonora Sondra Radvanovsky 

Don Alvaro Brian Jagde
Don Carlo di Vargas Igor Golovatenko 

Padre Guardiano Evgeny Stavinsky 

Preziosilla Vasilisa Berzhanskaya

Fra Melitone Rodion Pogossov 

Mastro Trabuco Carlo Bosi
Marquis of Calatrava James Creswell 

Curra Chanáe Curtis

Alcalde Thomas D Hopkinson

Royal Opera Chorus

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Sung in Italian with English surtitles

 

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing

 

Torn apart by a tragic accident on the night of their elopement, Leonora and Don Alvaro seek refuge in spirituality and solitude. But when war brings Alvaro side-by-side with Leonora’s estranged brother, the legacy of the past threatens to plunge their lives into turmoil once again.

 

With its haunting melodic refrain, the rousing ‘Rataplan’ march and Leonora’s soaring prayer, ‘La vergine degli angeli,’ Verdi’s opera is an engrossing psychological drama, encompassing the great themes of fate, life and and love. Christof Loy’s incisive production returns, conducted by Mark Elder and with vivid choreography by Otto Pichler.

 

The Royal Opera

L’ELISIR D’AMORE

Main Stage
22 September – 5 October 2023
A co-production with Opéra national de Paris

Music Gaetano Donizetti 

Conductor Sesto Quatrini

 Director Laurent Pelly
Set Designer Chantal Thomas

Costume Designer Laurent Pelly 

Lighting Designer Joël Adam

 

Adina Nadine Sierra 

Nemorino Liparit Avetisyan 

Doctor Dulcamara Bryn Terfel 

Belcore Boris Pinkhasovich

Giannetta Sarah Dufresne

Royal Opera Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Sung in Italian with English surtitles

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing, Professor Paul Cartledge and Judith Portrait OBE

 

Country boy Nemorino is determined to win the haughty Adina’s heart, but she refuses to give him the time of day. Can Doctor Dulcamara’s so-called ‘elixir of love’ work its magic?

 

Expect sun, fun and vocal acrobatics in Laurent Pelly’s much- loved staging of Donizetti’s intoxicating and witty comedy. Conductor Sesto Quatrini makes his house debut, as does soprano Nadine Sierra in the role of Adina. She is joined by Liparit Avetisyan, Boris Pinkhasovich and the incomparable Bryn Terfel as the genial wheeler-dealer Doctor Dulcamara.

 

UK Premiere
The Royal Opera
PICTURE A DAY LIKE THIS
Linbury Theatre
22 September – 10 October 2023
Co-commission and co-production with Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Opéra National du Rhin, Opéra Comique, Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Oper Köln and Teatro di San Carlo

Music George Benjamin
Text Martin Crimp
Conductor Corinna Niemeyer
Directors/Set Designers/ Dramaturgs/Lighting Designers Daniel Jeanneteau/ Marie-Christine Soma

Costume Designer Marie La Rocca 

Video Designer Hicham Berrada

Woman Ema Nikolovska
Zabelle Jacquelyn Stucker
Lover 1/ Composer Beate Mordal
Lover 2/ Composer’s Assistant Cameron Shahbazi 

Artisan/Collector John Brancy

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Sung in English with English surtitles

 

Generous philanthropic support from Tina Taylor.

Supported by Diaphonique

 

An ordinary day. A terrible event. The death of her infant child sets in motion one woman’s search for a life-restoring miracle. All she needs to do – in the course of a single day – is find one genuinely happy human being. But when every encounter ends in disappointment, she turns finally to the mysterious owner of a magnificent garden...

 

Following the success of Written on Skin (2013) and Lessons in Love and Violence (2018), George Benjamin and Martin Crimp return to the Royal Opera House for an enigmatic new operatic fable staged in the Linbury Theatre. Corinna Niemeyer (The Rape of Lucretia) conducts a dynamic young cast, co-directed by Daniel Jeanneteau and Marie-Christine Soma.

 

The Royal Ballet

DON QUIXOTE

Main Stage
30 September – 17 November 2023

Production and choreography Carlos Acosta after Marius Petipa 

Music Ludwig Minkus
Arranged and orchestrated by Martin Yates
Designer Tim Hatley

Lighting Designer Hugh Vanstone 

Conductor Valery Ovsyanikov

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing, Aud Jebsen, Doug and Ceri King, The Friends of Covent Garden and The Royal Opera House Endowment Fund

 

Don Quixote, based on Miguel de Cervantes’ epic novel of the same name, regales the adventures of the eccentric nobleman Don Quixote and his faithful squire Sancho Panza, as they help to bring a vivacious young couple, Kitri and Basilio, together.

 

Teeming with wit and an abundance of bravura choreography, this energetic 19th-century ballet is enlivened by Ludwig Minkus’ spirited score and is a wonderful showcase for the virtuosity of The Royal Ballet's Principal dancers. Created for The Royal Ballet a decade ago, Carlos Acosta’s exuberant production brings the sunshine and charm of Spain to the Main Stage with Tim Hatley’s characterful designs.

 

World Premiere

Yorke Dance Project 

SEA OF TROUBLES 

Clore Studio
10 October 2023

Part of MacMillan Celebrated

Choreography Kenneth MacMillan
Music Anton Webern/ Bohuslav Martinů

Director David Stewart
Associate Director Yolande Yorke-Edgell
Producer Jane Shackleton
Cinematography Paul Francis Jenkins/ Chris Titus King
Design for the stage Deborah Macmillan re-worked for film by Charlotte Macmillan

 

Yorke Dance Project, in association with The Royal Ballet, premiere a film of Kenneth MacMillan’s Sea of Troubles on 10 October, World Mental Health Day. Previously performed to much acclaim at the Royal Opera House and in other national theatres, this visceral and emotional ballet is based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet. MacMillan retells this classic tale of despair, revenge and madness from Hamlet’s perspective. Choreographed in 1988, its relevance remains undiminished and it still resonates deeply today. Now immortalised on film, Sea of Troubles was filmed on location at the historic Hatfield House.

 

The Royal Opera

RIGOLETTO

Main Stage
12 October – 28 November 2023

Music Giuseppe Verdi
Conductors Julia Jones/ Renato Balsadonna 

Director Oliver Mears
Set Designer Simon Lima Holdsworth 

Costume Designer Ilona Karas
Lighting Designer Fabiana Piccioli
Movement Director Anna Morrissey

 

Rigoletto Amartuvshin Enkhbat/ Simon Keenlyside 

Duke of Mantua Stefan Pop/ Saimir Pirgu
Gilda Pretty Yende/ Erin Morley
Sparafucile Gianluca Buratto/ Goderdzi Janelidze 

Maddalena Ramona Zaharia/ Elena Maximova 

Count Monterone Fabrizio Beggi/ Bogdan Talos 

Giovanna Veena Akama–Makia

Marullo Grisha Martirosyan/ Josef Jeongmeen Ahn 

Matteo Borsa Michael Gibson/ Ryan Vaughan–Davies 

Count Ceprano Jamie Woollard

Royal Opera Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Sung in Italian with English surtitles

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing and Sir Mick and Lady Barbara Davis and Melinda and Donald Quintin

 

As fool to the Duke of Mantua, Rigoletto is used to getting the last laugh. But when his daughter, Gilda, becomes the object of the Duke’s desire, he soon learns that in a world of power without limits, no one is safe. From the playboy Duke’s swaggering aria ‘La donna è mobile’ to the youthful Gilda’s trembling declaration of love in ‘Caro nome’, Rigoletto contains some of Verdi’s most

irresistible melodies. Julia Jones and Renato Balsadonna conduct two stunning casts in Oliver Mears’ darkly elegant production.

 

The Royal Opera and Jette Parker Artists

JUKEBOX

Clore Studio
14 October 2023

Conductors/Répétiteurs André Callegaro/ Edward Reeve 

Ballet Conductor José Ángel Salazar
Stage Directors Eleanor Burke/ Harriet Taylor

 

Sopranos Isabela Díaz/ Sarah Dufresne/ Valentina Puscas 

Mezzo-sopranos Veena Akama-Makia/ Gabrielė Kupšytė 

Tenors Michael Gibson/ Ryan Vaughan-Davies

Baritones Josef Jeongmeen Ahn/ Grisha Martirosyan 

Bass Jamie Woollard

 

 

With generous support from Oak Foundation

Hear Jette Parker Artists returning for their second Season, plus the six brand new singers joining them, in an intimate evening of operatic arias, songs from their homelands and favourite pieces of popular repertoire, as voted for online by the public, ahead of the evening.

 

The Royal Ballet

ANEMOI/ THE CELLIST

Main Stage
20 October – 2 November 2023

 

Anemoi
Choreography Valentino Zucchetti
Music Sergey Rachmaninoff
Romance orchestrated by Hans Vercauteren 

Designer Jean-Marc Puissant
Lighting Designer Simon Bennison

 

The Cellist
Choreography Cathy Marston
Scenario Cathy Marston and Edward Kemp
Music Philip Feeney after Edward Elgar, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Gabriel Fauré, Felix Mendelssohn, Alfredo Piatti, Sergey Rachmaninoff and Franz Schubert
Designer Hildegard Bechtler
Costume Designer Bregje van Balen
Lighting Designer Jon Clark
Dramaturgy Edward Kemp

Conductor Koen Kessels
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing and Sir Lloyd and Lady Dorfman OBE

 

This mixed programme revives two recent one-act ballets created for the Company which both garnered Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards for Best Classical Choreography.

 

Anemoi was created by First Soloist Valentino Zucchetti in 2021, emerging out of lockdown in energetic swathes of classical movement. Inspired by the Greek wind gods, Anemoi exemplifies the homegrown choreographer’s sophisticated contemporary style. Cathy Marston’s flair for emotive storytelling shines through in The Cellist, a lyrical memoir of cellist Jacqueline du Pré’s life, which was tragically cut short by multiple sclerosis. Rich, poignant, joyous and tragic, the ballet is set to an exquisite score, itself a homage to the cello.

 

World premiere
The Royal Ballet
THE LIMIT
Linbury Theatre
20 – 28 October 2023

Director Ed Madden
Choreographer Kristen Mcnally
Music Isobel Waller-Bridge
Based on the play by Sam Steiner
Designer Anisha Fields
Sound Designer Max Pappenheim
Original Dance Concept Alexander Campbell Productions

 

The average person speaks more than 123 million words in a lifetime. But what if there were a limit? Adapted with Sam Steiner from his award-winning play Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons, director Ed Madden and choreographer Kristen McNally reimagine this modern classic as a bold, playful and romantic work of dance-theatre with an original score by Isobel Waller- Bridge. Fusing dialogue, dance and music in its depiction of a couple riding the waves of unimaginable change, The Limit is a love story, an exploration of how we relate to one another, and a vivid theatrical experiment. Principals Francesca Hayward and Alexander Campbell feature as the lead cast during the run.

 

Northern Ballet

GENERATIONS: THREE SHORT BALLETS

Linbury Theatre
31 October – 2 November

 

Adagio Hammerklavier 

Choreography Hans van Manen 

Music Ludwig van Beethoven 

Designer Jean-Paul Vroom

 

New Benjamin Ella 

Choreography Benjamin Ella 

Music Jean Sibelius

 

New Tiler Peck 

Choreography Tiler Peck

 

Northern Ballet returns to the Linbury Theatre with a mixed programme of three complementary works from across the generations, curated by Artistic Director and former Royal Ballet Principal Federico Bonelli. Alongside a new work choreographed by Benjamin Ella, Soloist of The Royal Ballet, and star American ballerina Tiler Peck’s first piece for a European company, the programme includes Adagio Hammerklavier, a true contemporary classic from Dutch master Hans van Manen.

 

FALLEN ANGELS DANCE THEATRE

Linbury Theatre
4 November 2023

Choreography and movement direction co-created by Fallen Angels Dance Theatre/ Paul Bayes Kitcher
Music co-created by New Note Orchestra/ Conall Gleeson
Production producers Claire Morris/ Molly Matheson

New Note Orchestra

 

Fallen Angels Dance Theatre debuts at the Linbury Theatre, presenting a new work. Led by Artistic Director Paul Bayes Kitcher, former Royal Ballet School student and Birmingham Royal Ballet soloist, the award-winning company supports those recovering from addiction or mental health adversity, helping them to transform their lives and share their recovery journey, through dance, performance and creativity. This work marks the first collaboration between Fallen Angels and New Note Orchestra, a Brighton-based collective of 18 musicians in recovery.

 

New production

The Royal Opera 

JEPHTHA
Main Stage

8 – 24 November 2023

 

Music George Frideric Handel 

Conductor Laurence Cummings 

Director Oliver Mears
Set Designer Simon Lima Holdsworth 

Costume Designer Ilona Karas

Lighting Designer Fabiana Piccioli

Movement Director Anna Morrissey

 

Jephtha Allan Clayton 

Iphis Jennifer France 

Storgè Alice Coote

Hamor Cameron Shahbazi Zebul Brindley Sherratt

Royal Opera Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Sung in English with English surtitles

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing, Sir Mick and Lady Barbara Davis, The Estate of Mrs Gertrude Mary Looi, Charles Holloway, Crevan O'Grady and Jane Mcclenahan, Tina Taylor and The Patrons of Covent Garden

 

Jephtha’s belief in God is unshakeable. But when he unwittingly vows to sacrifice his own daughter, he will test the bonds of faith – and family – to the limit. Continuing our odyssey into Handel’s Covent Garden works, this gripping new staging by Oliver Mears sheds powerful new light on a timeless biblical tale. Allan Clayton (Peter Grimes) returns to Covent Garden in the title role, joined by a largely British cast featuring Alice Coote, Brindley Sherratt and Jennifer France, with musical direction from baroque specialist Laurence Cummings.

 

Ballet Black

BALLET BLACK: PIONEERS

Linbury Theatre
16 – 19 November 2023 Co-commissioned by The Barbican

 

Then or Now
Choreography Will Tuckett
Music Daniel Pioro/ Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber
Poetry Adrienne Rich
Poetry Recordings Hafsah Bashir/ Natasha Gordon/ Michael Shaeffer 

Costume Design Yukiko Tsukamoto
Lighting David Plater

 

Nina: By Whatever Means
Choreography Mthuthuzeli November
Music Mandisi Dyantyis/ Mthuthuzeli November/ Nina Simone Featuring the voices of the Zolani Youth Choir
Costume design Jessica Cabassa
Lighting David Plater

 

Cassa Pancho’s Ballet Black returns to the Linbury Theatre with this thrilling selection of works. Opening the mixed programme is Will Tuckett’s Then or Now, originally created in 2020. Emotional and urgent, it pairs Tuckett’s innovative choreographic language with the poetry of feminist Adrienne Rich to explore themes of home and belonging. The work is followed by Nina: By Whatever Means, Mthuthuzeli November's love letter to the renowned musician, performer and activist Nina Simone.

 

The Royal Ballet

THE DANTE PROJECT

Main Stage
18 November – 2 December
A co-production between The Royal Ballet and Paris Opera Ballet
Music co-commission with Los Angeles Philharmonic, Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel

Choreography Wayne Mcgregor
Music Thomas Adès
Design Tacita Dean
Lighting design (Inferno: Pilgrim) Lucy Carter/ Simon Bennison 

Lighting design (Purgatorio: Love, Paradiso: Poema Sacro) Lucy Carter

Dramaturgy Uzma Hameed

Conductor Jonathan Lo
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing, David Fransen, John and Susan Burns OBE and The Estate of Howard Hodgkin

Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor generously supported by Tina Taylor

 

‘This man is one who, from the deepest void in all the universe, has seen thus far’.

 

Trailblazing forces of the contemporary dance, music and art scene combined in 2021 to breathe new life into Dante Aligheri’s Divine Comedy. Imaginative, poetic and introspective, The Dante Project follows the poet’s journey as he traverses through the shifting spheres of the afterlife. Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor, composer Thomas Adès, artist Tacita Dean, lighting designer Lucy Carter and dramaturg Uzma Hameed present a monumental reinvention of Dante’s vision, by turns terrifying, lyrical and dazzling, in this compelling award-winning ballet for the full Company.

 

The Royal Opera

CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA/ PAGLIACCI

Main Stage
30 November – 15 December 2023
Co-production with Opera Australia, La Monnaie, Brussels and The Göteborg Opera

Conductor Daniel Oren
Director Damiano Michieletto
Set Designer Paolo Fantin
Costume Designer Carla Teti
Lighting Designer Alessandro Carletti

 

Cavalleria rusticana 

Music Pietro Mascagni

Santuzza Aleksandra Kurzak 

Turiddu Roberto Alagna
Alfio Dimitri Platanias
Lola Rachael Wilson 

Mamma Lucia Elena Zilio

 

Pagliacci
Music Ruggero Leoncavallo

Canio Fabio Sartori
Nedda Anna Princeva
Silvio Andrzej Filończyk 

Beppe Mikeldi Atxalandabaso

Royal Opera Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

 

Sung in Italian with English surtitles

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing

 

In a remote Italian village, two passionate affairs unfold over a single day. In Cavalleria rusticana, the heartbroken Santuzza wrestles with her conscience as her lover Turiddu lusts after another woman. Meanwhile, in Pagliacci, the tormented clown Canio tries to mask his heartache as he prepares to perform – but before long, the onstage drama descends into real-life tragedy.

Damiano Michieletto’s Olivier Award-winning production offers a visceral account of two unforgettable operatic thrillers. Daniel Oren conducts a dazzling cast featuring Aleksandra Kurzak, Roberto Alagna, Dimitri Platanias, Fabio Sartori and Anna Princeva.

 

The Royal Ballet

THE NUTCRACKER

Main Stage
6 December 2023 – 13 January 2024

 

Choreography Peter Wright after Lev Ivanov
Music Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Original scenario Marius Petipa after E.T.A. Hoffman Production and scenario Peter Wright

Designer Julia Trevelyan Oman
Lighting designer Mark Henderson Production consultant Roland John Wile

Conductor Andrew Litton/ Charlotte Politi

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing, Kenneth and Susan Green and Lindsay and Sarah Tomlinson

Generously supported by Van Cleef & Arpels

 

After the Christmas lights have dimmed, and everyone is tucked up in bed, Clara is whisked away to a marvellous adventure by the magician Drosselmeyer. She and her Nutcracker companion battle the irascible Mouse King, delight in the wintery landscapes of the Land of Snow and journey to meet the radiant Sugar Plum Fairy in the Kingdom of Sweets. Julia Trevelyan Oman’s period designs bring festive charm to Peter Wright’s beloved Royal Ballet production, as fairytale magic comes together with spectacular dancing in this unforgettable classic ballet.

 

The Royal Ballet

WINTER DRAFT WORKS

Clore Studio
11 – 13 December 2023

 

Choreography Various

Each Season, as part of The Royal Ballet’s longstanding commitment to fostering creativity and supporting new voices in dance, Draft Works offers a chance for emergent choreographic talent within the Company to experiment and create new work. With the works existing at different stages of creation, explore movement and new directions in classical ballet.

 

The Royal Opera and Little Bulb

WOLF WITCH GIANT FAIRY

Linbury Theatre
11 December 2023 – 6 January 2024

Conceived by Clare Beresford, Dominic Conway and Alexander Scott Musical Director Dominic Conway
Director Alexander Scott
Set and Costume Designer Samuel Wyer

Lighting Designer Joshua Pharo
Sound Designer Ed Clarke
Consultant Musical Director Yshani Perinpanayagam

Created, devised and performed by the ensemble

Narrator Peter Brathwaite
Red Riding Hood Clare Beresford
Wolf Tom Penn

Grandmother Jon Whitten 

Mother/Baba Yaga Claire Wild 

Cat Alexander Scott
Head Villager Dominic Conway 

Golden Goose Eugénie Pastor 

Peddler Shamira Turner
Giant Miriam Gould

 

Following the Olivier Award-winning run in 2021 (Best Family Show), don't miss the return of this ‘enchantingly staged’ folk opera (The Stage).

Red Riding Hood is tasked with delivering bread to her Grandmother, deep in the heart of the fairy-tale forest. But en route, Red meets a cunning Wolf who tricks her into taking a different path. Along the way, Red stumbles into a colourful cast of characters, including a scary witch, a talking cat and a rather persuasive Peddler. Join our ragtag band of wild musicians as they guide all the family through this famous tale with new twists, turns, magic and song.

 

The Royal Opera

HANSEL AND GRETEL

Main Stage
16 December 2023 – 7 January 2024 Co-production with San Francisco Opera

 

Music Engelbert Humperdinck 

Conductor Mark Wigglesworth 

Director Antony McDonald 

Designer Antony McDonald 

Lighting Designer Lucy Carter 

Movement Director Lucy Burge 

English Translation Kelley Rourke

Hansel Anna Stéphany/ Hanna Hipp 

Gretel Anna Devin/ Lauren Fagan 

Witch Rosie Aldridge/ Tichina Vaughn

Gertrud Susan Bickley

Peter Darren Jeffery 

Sandman Isabela Diaz

 Dew Fairy Sarah Dufresne

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Sung in English with English surtitles

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing and The Royal Opera House Endowment Fund

 

Left to fend for themselves in the forest, ravenous siblings Hansel and Gretel can’t believe their luck when they discover a gingerbread house filled with sweet treats. But they will need to keep their wits about them if they are to escape the clutches of the hungry Witch who lives there....

 

Antony McDonald’s mischievous production is sung in a lively new English translation. Music- lovers will be delighted by Humperdinck’s luscious score which is conducted by Mark Wigglesworth, with a fabulous cast including Anna Stéphany and Hanna Hipp (Hansel), and Anna Devin and Lauren Fagan (Gretel).

 

New production

The Royal Opera 

ELEKTRA
Main Stage

12 – 30 January 2024

 

Music Richard Strauss 

Conductor Antonio Pappano 

Director Christof Loy 

Designer Johannes Leiacker 

Lighting Designer Olaf Winter

 

Elektra Nina Stemme 

Chrysothemis Sara Jakubiak 

Klytämnestra Karita Mattila

Orest Lukasz Golinski
Ägisth Charles Workman
Orest's Tutor Michael Mofidian 

First Maid Noa Beinart
Second Maid Veena Akama-Makia 

Third Maid Gabrielė Kupšytė 

Fourth Maid Ella Taylor
Fifth Maid Valentina Puscas 

Overseer Lee Bisset
Young Servant Michael Gibson

Old Servant Jeremy White

Royal Opera Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Sung in German with English surtitles

 

Position of Music Director Maestro Antonio Pappano generously supported by Mrs Susan A. Olde OBE.

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing, Aud Jebsen, Charles Holloway, The Maestro’s Circle and The Friends of Covent Garden

 

Grief turns into a violent quest for revenge.

 

King Agamemnon has been murdered by his wife Klytämnestra and her lover, Ägisth. Princess Chrysothemis urges caution, but her sister, Elektra, cannot rest until she has killed her own mother. With a score memorably described by one critic as ‘the colour of blood’, Richard Strauss’ audacious adaptation of the iconic Greek tragedy has shocked and excited audiences since its 1909 premiere. Expect musical and dramatic fireworks in Christof Loy’s new production, starring Nina Stemme in the title role and Karita Mattila as the guilt-stricken Klytämnestra.

 

The Royal Ballet

MANON

Main Stage
17 January – 8 March 2024

 

Part of MacMillan Celebrated

 

Choreography Kenneth Macmillan 

Music Jules Massenet 

Orchestration Martin Yates 

Designer Nicholas Georgiadis 

Lighting designer Jacopo Pantani

Conductor Koen Kessels

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing, Aud Jebsen, Sir Lloyd and Lady Dorfman OBE, Kenneth and Susan Green, The Paul Ferguson Memorial Fund, Melinda and Donald Quintin and The Patrons of Covent Garden.
Original Production (1974) made possible by The Linbury Trust

 

Torn between her desire of a life of splendour and riches and her devotion to her true love Des Grieux, the capricious Manon pays the ultimate price. This adaptation of Abbé Prévost’s novel embodies Kenneth MacMillan at his best, his acute insight into human psychology and his mastery of narrative choreography finding full expression in the impassioned duets of the central couple, visceral and urgent in their desire. The heroine’s struggle to escape poverty make Manon one of the most dramatic and devastating of ballets, emphasized by Nicholas Georgiadis’ evocative designs that reflect the juxtaposition between Manon’s impoverished origins and the lavish world she longs to inhabit.

 

The Royal Opera

LA BOHÈME

Main Stage
24 January – 16 February 2024
Co-production with Teatro Real, Madrid and Lyric Opera of Chicago

Music Giacomo Puccini
Conductors Keri-Lynn Wilson/ Evelino Pidò 

Director Richard Jones
Designer Stewart Laing
Lighting Designer Mimi Jordan Sherin 

Movement Director Sarah Fahie

 

Mimì Ruzan Mantashyan/ Angela Gheorghiu/ Yaritza Véliz 

Rodolfo Saimir Pirgu/ Stefan Pop/ Leonardo Caimi
Marcello Mikhail Timoshenko/ Andrey Zhilikhovsky/ Gihoon Kim 

Musetta Danielle De Niese/ Simona Mihai/ Andrea Carroll 

Schaunard Hansung Yoo/ Zoltan Nagy/ Josef Jeongmeen Ahn 

Colline Alexander Köpeczi/ Michael Mofidian/ William Thomas 

Benoit Jeremy White

Alcindoro Eddie Wade/ Wyn Pencarreg

Royal Opera Chorus

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Sung in Italian with English surtitles

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing 

 

“Your tiny hand is frozen...”

 

It’s love at first sight for Mimì and Rodolfo, but as Rodolfo and his fellow penniless bohemians struggle to make ends meet, Mimì and her friend Musetta are forced to make difficult choices to survive, and soon, a force even greater than love will overwhelm them all.

 

With its soaring love duets, intimate arias and spectacular chorus scenes, it’s easy to understand the enduring appeal of Puccini’s timeless Parisian tale. Keri-Lynn Wilson and Evelino Pidò conduct three wonderful casts in Richard Jones’ captivating production.

 

Northern Ballet

TORTOISE & THE HARE

Linbury Theatre
27 – 29 January 2024

Choreographer Dreda Blow/ Sebastian Loe 

Set Design Ali Allen
Composer Bruno Merz

 

The race is on in Northern Ballet’s Tortoise & the Hare. When a cheeky Hare won't stop boasting about how fast he can run, thoughtful Tortoise decides it is time to join him in a race. No one thinks Tortoise can win, but when Hare gets distracted by games and treats, Tortoise might just surprise us all. The perfect introduction to live ballet and music, your little ones will be cheering along as a playful cast of characters re-tell this classic tale.

 

The Royal Opera

TOSCA

Main Stage
5 – 24 February 2024 1 – 21 July 2024

Music Giacomo Puccini
Conductors Karen Kamensek/ Andrea Battistoni/ Christopher Willis 

Director Jonathan Kent
Designer Paul Brown
Lighting Designer Mark Henderson

 

Floria Tosca Ausrine Stundyte/ Angel Blue/ Sonya Yoncheva
Mario Cavaradossi Marcelo Puente/ Russell Thomas/ Yusif Eyvazov
Baron Scarpia Gabriele Viviani/ Ludovic Tézier/ Aleksei Isaev
Spoletta Peter Hoare/ Colin Judson/ Hubert Francis
Cesare Angelotti Grisha Martirosyan/ Germán E. Alcántara/ Christian Federici Sacristan Henry Waddington/ Jeremy White
Sciarrone Jamie Woollard

Royal Opera Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Sung in Italian with English surtitles

 

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing and Alan and Caroline Howard.

Supported by Veuve Clicquot

 

Floria Tosca is a celebrated opera singer whose glamorous life is turned upside down when her lover is arrested by the Chief of Police, Baron Scarpia. Spying an opportunity to satisfy both his political and personal desires, Scarpia lures Tosca into a deadly trap... Puccini’s score evokes revolutionary Rome in all its glory, with popular highlights including the earth-shattering Te Deum, Tosca’s moving ‘Vissi d’arte’ and Cavaradossi’s poignant ‘E lucevan le stelle.’ Karen Kamensek, Andrea Battistoni and Christopher Willis conduct Jonathan Kent’s classic production, starring Ausrine Stundyte, Angel Blue, Sonya Yoncheva, Marcelo Puente, Russell Thomas, Yusif Eyvazov and Gabriele Viviani, Ludovic Tézier and Aleksei Isaev.

 

The Royal Ballet

FESTIVAL OF NEW CHOREOGRAPHY

Various venues
12 – 21 February 2024

 

Choreography Various

 

Generous philanthropic support from Tina Taylor, ROH Young Philanthropists and The Festival of New Choreography Production Syndicate

New Robert Binet work supported by Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels

 

The Festival of New Choreography is a series of performances, events and activities taking place on the Main Stage, Linbury Theatre, Paul Hamlyn Hall and Clore Studio, that aims to embrace and champion new, diverse voices in choreography. Part of The Royal Ballet's commitment to choreographic innovation and nurturing the future of the art form, the festival will include an immersive new production by Robert Binet for The Royal Ballet in the Linbury Theatre.

 

The Royal Opera

THE FLYING DUTCHMAN

Main Stage
29 February – 16 March 2024

 

Music Richard Wagner
Conductor Henrik Nánási
Director Tim Albery
Set Designer Michael Levine
Costume Designer Constance Hoffman 

Lighting Designer David Finn Movement Philippe Giraudeau

 

The Dutchman Bryn Terfel 

Senta Elisabet

Strid Daland Stephen

Milling Erik Toby Spence

Mary Kseniia Nikolaieva 

Steersman Miles Mykkanen

Royal Opera Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Sung in German with English surtitles

 

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing, The Wagner Circle and The Patrons of Covent Garden

 

A man doomed to sail the seas for all eternity unless he finds true love, and a woman determined to save him. From its stormy overture to the climactic finale, Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman (Der fliegende Holländer) pulls you into its depths.

 

Praised in The Independent as ‘an immersive and immersing experience’, Tim Albery’s brooding and atmospheric production situates the action in a modern coastal town. Henrik Nánási conducts Wagner’s first undisputed masterpiece, featuring Elisabet Strid as Senta, in her house debut, and Bryn Terfel, who returns as a memorable Dutchman ‘whose soul goes fathoms deep’ (FT).

 

The Royal Ballet

SWAN LAKE

Main Stage
6 March – 11 May 2024 12 – 28 June 2024

Choreography Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov
Additional Choreography Liam Scarlett and Frederick Ashton 

Music Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Production Liam Scarlett
Designer John Macfarlane
Lighting designer David Finn
Conductor Jonathan Lo/ Martin Georgiev/ Koen Kessels

Royal Ballet Sinfonia
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing, John and Susan Burns OBE, Sir Lloyd and Lady Dorfman OBE, Kenneth and Susan Green, Alan and Caroline Howard, Doug and Ceri King, Lindsay and Sarah Tomlinson and The Friends of Covent Garden

 

Out hunting, Prince Siegfried chances upon a flock of swans. One among them transforms into the beautiful human Odette and he is immediately enamoured. But Odette is bound by a spell which keeps her captive as a swan during the day. Can Siegfried free her? Tchaikovsky’s sensational score combines with the evocative imagination of choreographer Liam Scarlett and designer John Macfarlane to heighten the dramatic pathos of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov’s quintessential ballet classic. Swan Lake remains to this day one of the best-loved works in the classical ballet canon.

 

World premiere
The Royal Opera WOMAN & MACHINE 

Linbury Theatre
6 – 16 March 2024

Co-production with Fuel

Creator/Composer/Co-Librettist Eska Co-Creator/Director/Co-Librettist Kirsty Housley

 

A ground-breaking binaural opera from Mercury-nominated artist ESKA, Woman & Machine charts her three-month experience in the neonatal unit of King’s College Hospital when her daughter was born at just 26 weeks. Incorporating the sonic worlds of neonatal units and the womb, this new work explores the entwining stories of those who occupy the units, and delves into ESKA’s life and Zimbabwean heritage, connecting themes of life, survival, medicalisation,womanhood and motherhood.

 

This is the first collaboration between Fuel and The Royal Opera.

 

The Royal Opera

MADAMA BUTTERFLY

Main Stage
14 March – 15 April 2024 12 – 18 July 2024

Music Giacomo Puccini
Conductor Kevin John Edusei
Directors Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier 

Set Designer Christian Fenouillat
Costume Designer Agostino Cavalca 

Lighting Designer Christophe Forey

 

Cio-Cio-San Asmik Grigorian/ Hrachuhí Bassénz
Lieutenant B. F. Pinkerton Joshua Guerrero/ SeokJong Baek 

Sharpless Lauri Vasar/ Andrè Schuen
Suzuki Hongni Wu/ Enkelejda Shkoza
Goro Ya-Chung Huang/ Colin Judson
The Bonze Jeremy White
Prince Yamadori Josef Jeongmeen Ahn
Kate Pinkerton Veena Akama-Makia/ Gabrielė Kupšytė 

Imperial Commissioner Romanas Kudriašovas

Royal Opera Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Sung in Italian with English surtitles

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing

 

When American naval officer Lieutenant Pinkerton marries young geisha Cio-Cio-San in Nagasaki, Japan, she believes they are making a binding promise for life. Years pass with no sign of Pinkerton’s return, but still she waits for the day when his ship will sail into the harbour.

 

For all the beauty and romance of the music, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly remains a deeply moving – and troubling – story, fatally bound up with the destructive forces of imperialism. This Season there are two chances to catch Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier’s poignant, painterly production, with Kevin John Edusei conducting three fantastic casts.

 

The Royal Ballet

DANSES CONCERTANTES/ DIFFERENT DRUMMER/ REQUIEM

Main Stage
20 March – 13 April 2024

 

Part of MacMillan Celebrated

 

Choreography Kenneth Macmillan

 

Danses Concertantes
Music Igor Stravinsky
Designer Nicholas Georgiadis 

Lighting Designer John B. Read

 

Different Drummer
Music Anton Webern/ Arnold Schoenberg
Set designs Kenneth Macmillan
Costume designs Yolanda Sonnabend in association with Peter Farley

Lighting design John B. Read

 

Requiem
Music Gabriel Fauré
Designs Yolanda Sonnabend in association with Peter Farley 

Lighting design John B. Read

 

Conductor Koen Kessels
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing, Aud Jebsen and 

The Macmillan Production Syndicate

 

Requiem
Generous philanthropic support from Richard Baker in memory of Delia Baker

 

The Royal Ballet celebrates the breadth of Principal Choreographer Kenneth MacMillan’s one-act ballets. Danses Concertantes, commissioned by Ninette de Valois in 1955, was MacMillan’s first major work. An early sign of the incredible artistic output that would follow, the work’s critical success spurred MacMillan to abandon performing in favour of choreography. It is followed by Different Drummer, MacMillan’s complex and haunting balletic interpretation of Woyzeck, Georg Büchner’s play about a soldier’s descent into madness. The mixed programme concludes withRequiem, his 1976 work for Stuttgart Ballet, created in memory of its late artistic director and MacMillan’s friend John Cranko.

 

Yorke Dance Project

CALIFORNIA CONNECTIONS: THREE PIONEERING WOMEN

Linbury Theatre
20 – 21 March 2024

 

Part of MacMillan Celebrated

 

El Penitente
Choreography Martha Graham

Music Louis Horst Set Isamu Noguchi

 

Meta 4
Choreography Bella Lewitzky 

Music Robert Xavier Rodriguez

 

Isadora
Choreography Kenneth Macmillan 

Music Richard Rodney Bennett

 

California Connections celebrates three powerful female pioneers of modern dance who were inspired by living there: Isadora Duncan, a California native; Martha Graham, who spent her formative years in Santa Barbara; and Bella Lewitzky, who based her company in Los Angeles. The programme features Isadora, a reworking of Kenneth MacMillan’s dramatic and moving work for The Royal Ballet alongside Martha Graham’s legendary work El Penitente. A re-staging of Bella Lewitzky’s acclaimed quartet Meta 4 will complete the programme, featuring guest artists from the US and UK.

 

Sydney Dance Company

ASCENT

Linbury Theatre
25 – 28 March

 

I Am–ness
Choreography Rafael Bonachela
Music Pēteris Vasks
Costume Designer Rafael Bonachela 

Costume Designers Realisation Aleisa Jelbart 

Lighting Designer Damien Cooper

 

The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird
Choreography Marina Mascarell in collaboration with Sophie Jones/ Jesse Scales/ Lucy Angel/ Coco Wood/ Liam Green/ Dean Elliott/ Emily Seymour/ Jacopo Grabar/ Luke Hayward
Music Nick Wales
Set and Costume Designers Lauren Brincat/ Leah Giblin
Lighting Designer Damian Cooper

 

Forever & Ever
Choreography Antony Hamilton

Music Julian Hamilton 

Costume Designer Paula Levis 

Lighting Designer Ben Cisterne

 

Sydney Dance Company presents a bold mixed programme of diverse works exploring themes of humanity, technology and nature. Brimming with physicality, Ascent tempers contemporary classical with futuristic experimentation. Brought to life by Sydney Dance Company’s superb ensemble and a host of renowned Australian and international artists, Ascent will be an evening of thought-provoking contemporary dance, featuring the UK premiere of I Am-ness by artistic director Rafael Bonachela, Marina Mascarell’s The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird and Antony Hamilton’s Forever & Ever (Helpmann Award).

 

New production

The Royal Opera 

CARMEN
Main Stage

5 April – 31 May 2024
Co-production with Teatro Real, Madrid and La Scala, Milan

Music Georges Bizet
Conductors Antonello Manacorda/ Emmanuel Villaume 

Director Damiano Michieletto
Set Designer Paolo Fantin
Costume Designer Carla Teti
Lighting Designer Alessandro Carletti

 

Carmen Aigul Akhmetshina/ Vasilisa Berzhanskaya
Don José Piotr Beczala/ Brandon Jovanovich
Micaëla Olga Kulchynska/ Liana Aleksanyan/ Gemma Summerfield 

Escamillo Kostas Smoriginas/ Andrei Kymach
Zuniga Blaise Malaba/ Jamie Woollard
Moralès Grisha Martirosyan
Frasquita Sarah Dufresne/ Isabela Díaz
Mercédès Gabrielė Kupšytė
Dancaïro Pierre Doyen/ Josef Jeongmeen Ahn
Remendado Vincent Ordonneau/ Ryan Vaughan-Davies

Royal Opera Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Sung in French with English surtitles

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing, Sir Mick and Lady Barbara Davis, David Fransen, Melinda and Donald Quintin and The Royal Opera House Endowment Fund

 

Carmen is a free spirit who refuses to be tamed. The soldier Don José knows this, yet he cannot resist. Drawn into a volatile criminal underworld, it isn’t long before the liberating force of desire meets the violent consequences of jealousy.

Damiano Michieletto’s sizzling new production evokes all the passion and heat of Bizet’s score, which features Carmen’s sultry Habanera and the rousing Toreador song. Antonello Manacorda and Emmanuel Villaume conduct an exciting international cast, with Aigul Akhmetshina and Vasilisa Berzhanskaya sharing the title role.

 

The Royal Ballet and Guest Companies

INTERNATIONAL DRAFT WORKS

Linbury Theatre 10 – 13 April 2024

 

Choreography Various

 

The Royal Ballet, together with various international companies, present a programme of new works made by emergent choreographic voices in the global dance industry. International Draft Works is an opportunity to witness ballet’s choreographic landscape and gain insight into how the art form is evolving throughout the world.

 

The Royal Opera

LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR

Main Stage
19 April – 18 May 2024
Co-production with Greek National Opera

Music Gaetano Donizetti 

Conductor Giacomo Sagripanti 

Director Katie Mitchell
Designer Vicki Mortimer
Lighting Designer Jon Clark

Movement Director Joseph Alford

 

Lucia Nadine Sierra/ Liv Redpath
Edgardo Xabier Anduaga/ Dmitry Korchak 

Enrico Ashton Artur Ruciński
Raimondo Bidebent In Sung Sim
Arturo Bucklaw Andrés Presno
Normanno Michael Gibson
Alisa Rachael Lloyd

Royal Opera Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Sung in Italian with English surtitles

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing

 

Caught in a family feud, and cornered by the men around her, Lucia becomes haunted by memories of the past. When she is tricked into marrying Arturo against her will, the scene is set for a shocking climax.

 

Praised for its intelligence and searing insight, Katie Mitchell’s acclaimed production returns to The Royal Opera, bringing a bold, feminist vision to Donizetti’s setting of Walter Scott’s gothic novel. Nadine Sierra and Liv Redpath, in her house debut, share the title role, with Giacomo Sagripanti conducting an opera rich in stratospheric vocal highs and breath-taking ensembles.

 

New production
The Royal Opera and Jette Parker Artists
LARMES DE COUTEAU/ FULL MOON IN MARCH 

Linbury Theatre
24 April – 4 May 2024

 

Larmes De Couteau 

Music Bohuslav Martinů

Texts Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes 

Director Eleanor Burke

 

Eleanora Valentina Puscas 

Mother Veena Akama-Makia 

Satan Kamohelo Tsotetsi

 

Sung in French with English surtitles

 

Full Moon in March 

Music John Harbison 

Texts WB Yeats 

Director Harriet Taylor

Queen Veena Akama-Makia 

Swineherd Kamohelo Tsotetsi 

First Attendant Valentina Puscas

Conductor Edward Reeve
Britten Sinfonia

Generous support from Oak Foundation

 

In Bohuslav Martinů’s surreal Larmes de couteau (1928) a young woman considers two prospective lovers. She is besotted with a hanged man, but her mother urges her to marry their neighbour, Satan. Dada meets foxtrot, jazz, ragtime and blues, in this one-act opera with echos of Kurt Weill and café-théâtre.

 

There are resonances of Turandot and Salome in John Harbison’s adaptation of text from WB Yeats for his rarely performed piece Full Moon in March (1977). A bored swineherd attempts to seduce a cruel queen in order to become king. After winning her hand, she has him decapitated, and her shadow dances with his head.

 

The Royal Ballet

THE WINTER’S TALE

Main Stage
3 May – 1 June 2024
A co-production between The Royal Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada

Choreography Christopher Wheeldon
Scenario Christopher Wheeldon and Joby Talbot 

Music Joby Talbot
Designer Bob Crowley
Lighting Designer Natasha Katz
Projection Designer Daniel Brodie
Silk Effects Designer Basil Twist
Conductor Koen Kessels

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing, Aud Jebsen, John and Susan Burns OBE, Kenneth and Susan Green and The Royal Opera House Endowment Fund Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon generously supported by Kenneth and Susan Green

 

King Leontes of Sicilia is crippled with an all-consuming jealousy when his friend, King Polixenes of Bohemia, stays with him and his wife Hermione. What follows is a tale where a marriage is destroyed, a child is abandoned and all hope seemingly lost for two lovers.

 

Shakespeare’s profound story of love and loss, artfully adapted into a contemporary three-act narrative ballet by Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon, returns to the Main Stage. Celebrating its tenth anniversary, The Winter's Tale is an award-winning modern ballet classic, packed with emotional turmoil heightened by Joby Talbot’s compelling score and Bob Crowley’s atmospheric designs.

 

New Production
The Royal Opera
L’OLIMPIADE
Linbury Theatre
13 – 25 May 2024
Co-production with Irish National Opera and NOF – Nouvel Opéra Fribourg

Composer Antonio Vivaldi 

Librettist Pietro Metastasio 

Conductor Peter Whelan 

Director Daisy Evans

Irish Baroque Orchestra

 

Sung in Italian with English surtitles

Generous philanthropic support from Tina Taylor

 

Following the enormous success of Irish National Opera’s Olivier Award-winning Bajazet and last Season’s dynamic premiere of Brian Irvine and Netia Jones’ Least Like The Other, INO and The Royal Opera present their third collaboration: a brand-new staging of Vivaldi’s L’Olimpiade. Brought to life in the intimate Linbury Theatre, this baroque rarity from 1734 promises invigorating feats of vocal virtuosity, as a host of sporting suitors compete for the hand of Princess Aristea at the Olympics. Let the games begin...

 

Peter Whelan conducts the Irish Baroque Orchestra, while Daisy Evans makes her ROH debut in an engaging new staging.

 

The Royal Opera

ANTONIO PAPPANO FAREWELL GALA CONCERT

Main Stage 16 May 2024

Royal Opera Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Position of Music Director Maestro Antonio Pappano generously supported by Mrs Susan A. Olde OBE

 

In May, a farewell concert for Antonio Pappano will see a starry list of guests come together with the Royal Opera Chorus and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House in celebration of his 23- year tenure as Music Director of The Royal Opera.

 

The Royal Opera

ANDREA CHÉNIER

Main Stage
30 May – 11 June 2024
Co-production with China National Centre for Performing Arts, Beijing and San Francisco Opera

Music Umberto Giordano 

Conductor Antonio Pappano 

Director David McVicar
Set Designer Robert Jones 

Costume Designer Jenny Tiramani 

Lighting Designer Adam Silverman 

Movement Director Andrew George

 

Andrea Chénier Jonas Kaufmann 

Maddalena Di Coigny Sondra Radvanovsky 

Carlo Gérard Carlos Álvarez
Bersi Katia Ledoux
The Incredible Alexander Kravets
Roucher Ashley Riches
Madelon Elena Zilio
Contessa Di Coigny Rosalind Plowright 

Pietro Fléville William Dazeley
The Abbé Aled Hall
Mathieu James Cleverton
Fouquier-Tinville Eddie Wade
Dumas Jamie Woollard
Schmidt Jeremy White
Major-Domo Simon Thorpe

Royal Opera Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Sung in Italian with English surtitles

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing, Mrs Susan A. Olde OBE, Aud Jebsen, David Fransen, Peter Harrison and Fiona Willis, Alan and Caroline Howard, John Sunderland and George Shishkovsky, The Jean Sainsbury Royal Opera House Fund, Martin and Jane Houston, The Friends of Covent Garden and The Andrea Chenier Production Syndicate

Supported by Rolex

 

At a glittering party in 18th-century Paris, the poet Andréa Chenier delivers an impassioned denunciation of Louis XVI. Five years later, the Revolution has given way to the Terror, transforming the power balance between Chénier, his beloved Maddalena and Gérard, the man who could destroy him... Jonas Kaufmann headlines David McVicar’s spectacular staging, under the baton of long-time collaborator Antonio Pappano – who conducts Giordano’s epic historical drama of revolution and forbidden love in his last production as Music Director of The Royal Opera.

 

THE SARASOTA BALLET

Main Stage
4 – 9 June 2024

 

Part of Ashton Celebrated Choreography Frederick Ashton Two programmes to include:

 

Valses nobles et sentimentales 

Music Maurice Ravel
Design Sophie Fedorovitch

 

Dante Sonata
Music Franz Liszt
Design Sophie Fedorovitch

 

Sinfonietta
Music Malcolm Williamson 

Design after Peter Rice

 

Façade
Music William Walton 

Design John Armstrong

 

Part of Ashton Worldwide, the Frederick Ashton Foundation’s international festival 2024 — 2028

 

The Sarasota Ballet has grown over the past decade into one of America’s leading ballet companies, garnering acclaim for its extensive repertory of Frederick Ashton’s works. Director Iain Webb and Assistant Director Margaret Barbieri, former Royal Ballet dancers, bring to the Linbury Theatre a selection of works, shown over two programmes, that pays tribute to Ashton’s remarkable choreographic range and celebrates his legacy as Founder Choreographer of The Royal Ballet and a pioneer of 20th-century ballet. Works shown will include Valses nobles et sentimentales, Dante Sonata, Sinfonietta and Façade, among others.

 

The Royal Ballet

LES RENDEZVOUS/ THE DREAM/ RHAPSODY

Main Stage
6 – 19 June 2024

 

Part of Ashton Celebrated 

 

Choreography Frederick Ashton

 

Les Rendezvous
Music Daniel-François-Esprit Auber 

Musical arrangement Constant Lambert

 

The Dream
Music Felix Mendelssohn
Musical arrangement John Lanchbery 

Designer David Walker
Lighting designer John B. Read

 

Rhapsody
Music Sergey Rachmaninoff
Set designer Frederick Ashton
Original costume designer William Chappell Costume designs re-created by Natalia Stewart Lighting designer Peter Teigen

Conductor Charlotte Politi (Rhapsody)/ Barry Wordsworth (The Dream and Les Rendezvous) 

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing, Aud Jebsen, John and Susan Burns OBE, Sir Lloyd and Lady Dorfman OBE, The Fonteyn Circle and The Patrons of Covent Garden

 

The Dream
Generous philanthropic support from Lindsay and Sarah Tomlinson

 

Part of Ashton Worldwide, the Frederick Ashton Foundation’s international festival 2024 — 2028

 

This mixed programme opens with the buoyant Les Rendezvous, a fizzing succession of dances following a group of friends who meet in a park. The Dream, Ashton’s witty and tender reimagining of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream, follows set to Felix Mendelssohn’s gossamer- light music. The one-act ballet follows two pairs of mortal lovers, their fates at the hands of Oberon and Titania, the King and Queen of Fairies. Ashton’s lyrical masterpiece, Rhapsody, concludes the programme, its explosive jumps and fleet footwork a bravura match for Sergei Rachmaninoff’s virtuosic Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

 

The Royal Ballet

THE DREAM/ SHORT WORKS/ RHAPSODY

Main Stage
7 – 22 June 2024

Part of Ashton Celebrated 

Choreography Frederick Ashton

 

The Dream
Music Felix Mendelssohn
Musical arrangement John Lanchbery 

Designer David Walker
Lighting designer John B. Read

 

Five Brahms Waltzes in the manner of Isadora Duncan 

Music Johannes Brahms
Costume designs David Dean
Lighting design John B. Read

 

The Sarasota Ballet

The Walk to the Paradise Garden 

Music Frederick Delius

 

Hamlet and Ophelia
Music Franz Liszt
Recreated and staged by Wayne Eagling 

Painter and Designer Sarah Armstrong-Jones 

Costumes realized by James Kelly

 

Rhapsody
Music Sergey Rachmaninoff
Set designer Frederick Ashton
Original costume designer William Chappell Costume designs re-created by Natalia Stewart 

Lighting designer Peter Teigen

 

Conductor Charlotte Politi (Rhapsody), Barry Wordsworth (The Dream and Short Works) 

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing, Aud Jebsen, John and Susan Burns OBE, Sir Lloyd and Lady Dorfman OBE, The Fonteyn Circle and The Patrons of Covent Garden

 

The Dream
Generous Philanthropic Support from Lindsay and Sarah Tomlinson

 

Part of Ashton Worldwide, the Frederick Ashton Foundation’s international festival 2024 — 2028

 

Frederick Ashton’s masterful Shakespearian character study The Dream and his exhilarating ballet Rhapsody, created for the stellar talents of Mikhael Baryshnikov and Lesley Collier, come together again in this second mixed programme of Ashton ballets. Completing the demonstration of the master choreographer’s abundant creativity is a selection of short works: Five Brahms Waltzes in the manner of Isadora Duncan, Ashton’s homage to the legendary dancer; Hamlet and Ophelia, a restaging of the Hamlet Prelude choreographed for Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev; plus The Walk to the Paradise Garden performed by The Sarasota Ballet who lead the choreographer's celebrations in the Linbury Theatre.

 

The Royal Ballet and Guest Companies

NEXT GENERATION FESTIVAL

Linbury Theatre 11 – 29 June 2024

The Next Generation Festival brings together junior companies and exceptional dance schools from the UK, across Europe and around the world to celebrate dance. A showcase of national and international talent, these young dancers will present a range of exciting works that demonstrate the diversity of performing talent globally. Witness the immense potential of dance as it blossoms into its vibrant future.

 

The Royal Opera

COSÌ FAN TUTTE

Main Stage
26 June – 9 July 2024

Music Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 

Conductor Alexander Soddy 

Director Jan Philipp Gloger
Set Designer Ben Baur

Costume Designer Karin Jud 

Lighting Designer Bernd Purkrabek

 

 

Fiordiligi Golda Schultz 

Dorabella Samantha Hankey 

Ferrando Daniel Behle 

Guglielmo Andrè Schuen 

Despina Jennifer France 

Don Alfonso Gerald Finley

Royal Opera Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Sung in Italian with English surtitles

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing

 

Two confident young men make a bet to prove the fidelity of their girlfriends. What could possibly go wrong? Plenty, it turns out, as their experiment descends into a dizzying game of seduction and heartbreak.

 

Since Mozart’s comedy first scandalised audiences in 1790, Così fan tutte has lost none of its sting. ‘All women do it,’ alleges the master manipulator Don Alfonso. Make up your own mind and revel in the wit and glamour of Jan Philipp Gloger’s production, which returns to the Royal Opera House, conducted by Alexander Soddy and featuring a stellar cast.

 

The Royal Ballet School

THE ROYAL BALLET SCHOOL SUMMER PERFORMANCE

Main Stage 6 July 2024

Royal Ballet Sinfonia

The Royal Ballet School presents a diverse programme, featuring classical and contemporary works which showcase these young dancers’ prowess, versatility and imagination. This is a rare opportunity to glimpse the rising ballet stars of the future and the remarkable skills and artistry they are honing as they train at one of the world’s leading ballet schools.

The Royal Opera and Jette Parker Artists

 

JETTE PARKER ARTISTS SUMMER PERFORMANCE

Main Stage 20 July 2024

Directors Eleanor Burke/ Harriet Taylor
Conductors André Callegaro/ Edward Reeve/ José Ángel Salazar

Sopranos Isabela Díaz/ Sarah Dufresne/ Valentina Puscas Mezzo-sopranos Veena Akama-Makia/ Gabrielė Kupšytė Tenors Michael Gibson/ Ryan Vaughan-Davies
Baritones Josef Jeongmeen Ahn/ Grisha Martirosyan Bass Jamie Woollard

Generous support from Oak Foundation

 

This annual showcase for the Royal Opera’s company artists is a firm favourite in opera-goers’ calendar. Jette Parker Artists regularly go on to international success and leading roles in the world’s most prestigious opera houses. Catch them at the start of their careers in a mixed programme of staged scenes. A perfect introduction to opera by Covent Garden’s future stars as well as something for the cognoscenti.

 

About The Royal Opera

The Royal Opera, under the artistic direction of Antonio Pappano, Music Director, and Oliver Mears, Director of Opera, is one of the world’s leading opera companies. Based in the iconic Covent Garden theatre, it is renowned both for its outstanding performances of traditional opera and for commissioning new works by today’s leading opera composers, such as George Benjamin, Kaija Saariaho, Mark-Anthony Turnage and Thomas Adès.

 

About The Royal Ballet

Under the directorship of Kevin O’Hare, The Royal Ballet unites tradition and innovation in world- class performances and is a driving force in the development of ballet as an art form. Based at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, it brings together today’s most dynamic and versatile dancers with a world-class orchestra and leading choreographers, composers, conductors, directors and creative teams to share awe-inspiring theatrical experiences with diverse audiences worldwide. The Company’s extensive repertory embraces 19th-century classics, the singular legacy of works by Founder Choreographer Frederick Ashton and Principal Choreographer Kenneth MacMillan, a compelling new canon of work by choreographers today including Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor and Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon, and the bold and complementary programming in the Linbury Theatre. Guest choreographers Kyle Abraham, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Cathy Marston, Arthur Pita, Crystal Pite, Hofesh Shechter, Pam Tanowitz and Twyla Tharp have also created work for the Company.

 

About the Royal Opera House

Home to The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, the Royal Opera House brings together world-class performers and trailblazing creative teams to share unforgettable performances with audiences near and far. Our theatres are in the heart of London's Covent Garden, but our work is accessed and experienced across the UK and globally through ROH Stream, tours, cinema programme, radio broadcasts and TV output. Our work in schools and communities up and down the country is driven by our curriculum-linked Create & Learn programmes, specially designed to inspire creativity, broaden participation and diversify the future of opera and ballet. These sit alongside industry-leading talent development projects, regional partnerships, and a raft of daytime events, family activities, tours, exhibitions and free concerts here in our iconic Covent Garden home. We are also expanding our audience through our flagship Young ROH scheme and are committed to reducing our impact on the environment, and aim to achieve net zero emissions by 2035.

[bangorballetboy]

29 minutes ago, JNC said:

Is the second mixed bill all Sarasota ballet or only for one act?

 

As I read it, SB are only doing The Walk to the Paradise Garden in this bill.  They have two full bills of their own!

[bangorballetboy]

14 minutes ago, emmarose said:

 

The best place to see it anyway! I long to see Tiler Peck live in Balanchine.

 

Just to mention that the Northern Ballet programme in the Linbury includes new pieces by Tiler Peck and Ben Ella.

[Celine]

I'm super happy about Manon and hope to have a good cast with the right timing that fits my schedule. I'm also seeing Manon at POB this June! 

 

I'm looking forward to the Ashton bills too. Not sure about Anemoi/The Cellist - I would see them if I had time (and money). 

 

Will not be considering: Swan Lake (too soon and not a good version imo) and The Dante Project (I feel that I will appreciate it in the future, but not now).

 

 

[Silver Capricorn]

Overall, I'm very satisfied with the new season, I'm not very interested in tripps, but Don Q, Manon and Swan Lake made me very happy, maybe even Winter's Tale. In conjunction with the ballet season of the Paris Opera, which also brings Manon, Swan Lake (Nureyev) and Dona Q (Nureyev) and La fille mal gardée, I cannot be displeased!

[Sim]

Thanks @Jan McNulty  You have done a wonderful job with that huge press release!

[Ondine]

I'm astonished and delighted that Sarasota will be doing these pieces in the UK.   They really have kept Ashton's earlier works alive. Facade was another I had hoped the RB itself would have revived. (And of course Wedding Bouquet as I said yesterday!) So many jewels from Ashton's early career which should not be consigned to a museum.

 

Capriol Suite would be lovely too... it's in the rep of New York Theatre Ballet. 

 

 

 

"...a guest performance by The Sarasota Ballet of The Walk to the Paradise Garden. The Sarasota Ballet will also demonstrate the genius of Ashton in the Linbury Theatre with a vibrant array of his creative output. The Royal Ballet and The Sarasota Ballet’s Ashton performances during the Season mark the opening of ASHTON WORLDWIDE, the Frederick Ashton Foundation’s five-year international festival conceived to celebrate the work and legacy of Frederick Ashton. Further information on the festival will be announced by the Foundation in due course."

 

 

Edited April 26, 2023 by Ondine

[Emeralds]

35 minutes ago, FionaE said:

I see I’ll be spending a lot on Fumi Kaneko in this coming year … outstanding in Don Q, Swan Lake, Winters Tale, Dante and no doubt Manon too.  
 

I hope Lauren Cuthbertson will be back for Winter’s Tale.  But who will play Leontes asides from Ryo Hirano.  I may be wrong … is he the only dancer not retired to have performed it?  William Bracewell?  Vadim?  Matthew Ball? Calvin?  Steven McRae?  I can’t wait to hear!

Bennet Gartside has been Leontes to Marianela Nunez’s Hermione, and would like to see them if they are dancing it again this season, as I couldn’t make it for their dates previously.  

[aliceinwoolfland]

I'm excited for Manon, but really sad that once again, there's no Alice

[capybara]

17 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

Bennet Gartside has been Leontes to Marianela Nunez’s Hermione, and would like to see them if they are dancing it again this season, as I couldn’t make it for their dates previously.  

I liked Ben in the role (actually more than Ed). But other ‘candidates’ have come along since then whose case to be cast as Leontes are arguably stronger.

[JNC]

41 minutes ago, Sim said:

I'm in!  Very sad that we have to do that, but hey, a trip to Paris is never a bad thing (assuming no strikes or street demos....).

indeed and the financial side. But it looks like I’ll be seeing very little of RB pre spring to be honest (I’ll make an exception for a manon or two if I can see the cats I want) so I will seriously consider shuffling funds to go to paris! 

[JNC]

40 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

As I read it, SB are only doing The Walk to the Paradise Garden in this bill.  They have two full bills of their own!

Is this in the Linbury?

 

I can’t seem to find it on the website, maybe the dates/programme haven’t been confirmed yet? 

[Ian Macmillan]

That has got to be the longest Press Release posted here in our 11.5 years history - very well done, Janet!  

[Emeralds]

1 hour ago, FionaE said:

I see I’ll be spending a lot on Fumi Kaneko in this coming year … outstanding in Don Q, Swan Lake, Winters Tale, Dante and no doubt Manon too.  
 

I hope Lauren Cuthbertson will be back for Winter’s Tale.  But who will play Leontes asides from Ryo Hirano.  I may be wrong … is he the only dancer not retired to have performed it?  William Bracewell?  Vadim?  Matthew Ball? Calvin?  Steven McRae?  I can’t wait to hear!

Forgot to add, FionaE- hope Vadim Muntagirov will be cast as Florizel still (well, he can dance both, I won’t object!) as he has the virtuosity for the role of Florizel (and like Gartside & Nunez, I couldn’t see him last time too). 

[Ian Macmillan]

In advance of tomorrow's Links, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune got a piece in very early for Florida local time:

 

https://eu.heraldtribune.com/story/entertainment/dance/2023/04/26/sarasota-ballet-to-dance-at-royal-ballet-ashton-festival-in-london/70143692007/

 

 

[Emeralds]

Bouquets and brava to @Jan McNulty for what looks like an incredibly time consuming and cumbersome  press release to format! But it is so useful to have it here (including the opera and other shows). I’m sure many will be referring to it repeatedly as it’s really handy in this format (I find it faster for names and dates than clicking through the website). Thank you, Janet.

💐💐💐💐💐💐👏👏

[bridiem]

'The Sarasota Ballet has grown over the past decade into one of America’s leading ballet
companies, garnering acclaim for its extensive repertory of Frederick Ashton’s works. Director
Iain Webb and Assistant Director Margaret Barbieri, former Royal Ballet dancers, bring to the
Linbury Theatre a selection of works, shown over two programmes, that pays tribute to Ashton’s
remarkable choreographic range and celebrates his legacy as Founder Choreographer of The

Royal Ballet and a pioneer of 20th-century ballet.'

 

To be honest, if I was director of the RB I'd be a bit embarrassed about this para. Granted there are 2 Ashton bills in the RB rep this year, but there are repetitions, and I feel it would be quite difficult to say that the RB really does what the Sarasota Ballet is enthusiastically described here as doing.

[Lizbie1]

7 minutes ago, Ian Macmillan said:

In advance of tomorrow's Links, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune got a piece in very early for Florida local time:

 

https://eu.heraldtribune.com/story/entertainment/dance/2023/04/26/sarasota-ballet-to-dance-at-royal-ballet-ashton-festival-in-london/70143692007/

 

 

 

What a wonderful, uplifting article - but it feels like an honour to have them visiting rather than the other way around.

[Emeralds]

2 minutes ago, Ian Macmillan said:

In advance of tomorrow's Links, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune got a piece in very early for Florida local time:

 

https://eu.heraldtribune.com/story/entertainment/dance/2023/04/26/sarasota-ballet-to-dance-at-royal-ballet-ashton-festival-in-london/70143692007/

 

 

That photo of both Kevin O’Hare and Iain Webb together in the foreground of Valses Nobles et Sentimentales just looks so apt....for a programme cover of the festival! Or at least to be reproduced inside! Two SWRB (BRB) dancers, now artistic directors, then dancing Ashton, now programming Ashton. How cool is that! Just a suggestion. 😊

 

We talked about having Sarasota Ballet visit Britain several times with their Ashton repertory, Webb mentioned in response to a fellow member’s letter about awaiting an invitation from a theatre, and so many of us are thrilled that the invitation has finally happened and that day is, at long last, finally coming! Yahoo! I also hope (expect) to see Iain Webb and Margaret Barbieri being led on stage on the first and last nights (or even every night) so that we can show them our appreciation for their hard work looking after the ballets.

[Ondine]

 

 

"To be honest, if I was director of the RB I'd be a bit embarrassed about this para."

Quite.

 

To be fair Sarasota does the smaller earlier works mainly,  one acters etc, but no reason why the RB shouldn't have kept many of those going. Still a joy and very good training in the appropriate ' Ashton style' (much of it Cecchetti classwork but that's another story, and history).

 

Ashton:  “If I had my way, I would always insist that all dancers should daily do the wonderful Cecchetti port de bras, especially beginners. It inculcates a wonderful feeling for line and correct positioning and the use of head movement and épaulement, which, if correctly absorbed, will be of incalculable use throughout a dancer’s career”.

https://www.istd.org/dance/dance-genres/cecchetti-classical-ballet/history-of-cecchetti/

 

BEND 😊

 

 

Also worth a quick read re Ashton and Cecchetti

https://www.euppublishing.com/doi/pdf/10.3366/drs.1998.16.1.74

 

 

And Patineurs needs reviving too.

Edited April 26, 2023 by Ondine
Addition

[SheilaC]

I don't think anyone has noticed that Frankie will be performing  in the autumn, after all  - in the Linbury with Alex, in Krsiten McKnally's The Limit (Oct 20-28). Hannah Rudd and Jacob Wye are the alternative cast.

[Lizbie1]

Thinking about the timing of those Ashton bills and the Sarasota visit: together with the RB and ENB (Albert Hall version) Swan Lakes, June is looking very congested. If NYCB are visiting then as well scheduling everything I want to see could look very tricky!

[Ondine]

I recall BRB had Les Rendezvous in its rep? 

Edited April 26, 2023 by Ondine
Yet another typo.

[Richard LH]

I anticipate that Forum Members will have something to say about the number of performances allocated to each ballet on the Main Stage:

 

Don Quixote:          17

Anemoi/Cellist:        7

The Dante Project:  8

The Nutcracker:     28 (including 3 not for general public) 

Manon:                    17

Swan Lake:             30 (including 1 not for general public)   ..is this a record? 

MacMillan Triple:      6

The Winter’s Tale:    11

Ashton Triple “A”:      5

Ashton Triple “B”:      5

Edited April 26, 2023 by Richard LH