Wayne Sleep 75th Birthday Celebration at ROH Linbury Theatre 17 July 2023

[Emeralds]

I’m not sure if I have missed any announcement here as I just stumbled upon this in Gramilano while reading another item from the Dance Links. It hasn’t even been announced on ROH social media (unless they did it quickly and removed the post!)

 

It’s an afternoon event in the Linbury Theatre on Mon 17 July at 12.30pm lasting around 1 hour 20mins (no interval). Tickets are already on sale on the website- £5 to £45. The information about the programme is very brief! All they’ve said is that Sleep himself will be there and in conversation, with a performance from him together with  guests  like Felicity Lott (loved her singing when she performed with RO).

 

They have mentioned the roles created on him like George Robertson Sinclair, Beggar Chief, Mister Mistoffeles (in Cats, not at the RB), and other roles in Elite Syncopations, Anastasia, A Month in the Country, etc so I am wondering if one or two of those might be performed. Currently there are about 81 tickets left as I type this. 

[capybara]

4 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

I’m not sure if I have missed any announcement here as I just stumbled upon this in Gramilano while reading another item from the Dance Links. It hasn’t even been announced on ROH social media (unless they did it quickly and removed the post!)

 

It’s an afternoon event in the Linbury Theatre on Mon 17 July at 12.30pm lasting around 1 hour 20mins (no interval). Tickets are already on sale on the website- £5 to £45. The information about the programme is very brief! All they’ve said is that Sleep himself will be there and in conversation, with a performance from him together with  guests  like Felicity Lott (loved her singing when she performed with RO).

 

They have mentioned the roles created on him like George Robertson Sinclair, Beggar Chief, Mister Mistoffeles (in Cats, not at the RB), and other roles in Elite Syncopations, Anastasia, A Month in the Country, etc so I am wondering if one or two of those might be performed. Currently there are about 81 tickets left as I type this. 

It might be a little difficult to offer any dancing for this event as the RB will be on holiday (or in Japan) and the RBS breaks up after the student performance the day before.

[Emeralds]

So would you reckon it’s a conversation/discussion only? That’s possible too. PS I just noticed it said “camera filming” so we might get it online, unless it’s just for their archive records.

[Fonty]

True Wayne Sleep story:

My brother and sister-in-law were having a meal in Langham's Brasserie* in London some years ago.  A slightly inebriated Wayne Sleep, who was dining at a nearby table, came and sat on my brother's lap and said "My word, what a handsome chap you are."  .  

 

My brother was extremely embarrassed; my s-i-l dissolved into fits of laughter, before saying "Yes he is, and he is my handsome chap, so hands off him!"  Hand shakes all round before Mr Sleep returned to his table.  

* For those that don't know, LB is a restaurant in London near the Ritz Hotel where you can often see famous faces.  I think a media person had a financial interest in it once.  Maybe Michael Caine?

[Sim]

30 minutes ago, Fonty said:

True Wayne Sleep story:

My brother and sister-in-law were having a meal in Langham's Brasserie* in London some years ago.  A slightly inebriated Wayne Sleep, who was dining at a nearby table, came and sat on my brother's lap and said "My word, what a handsome chap you are."  .  

 

My brother was extremely embarrassed; my s-i-l dissolved into fits of laughter, before saying "Yes he is, and he is my handsome chap, so hands off him!"  Hand shakes all round before Mr Sleep returned to his table.  

* For those that don't know, LB is a restaurant in London near the Ritz Hotel where you can often see famous faces.  I think a media person had a financial interest in it once.  Maybe Michael Caine?

Yes, Langan's was owned by Sir Michael, Peter Langan and Richard Shepherd (a Michelin starred chef).  A real celebrity haunt in its time.  

[Dawnstar]

Can anyone offer any opinions on the restricted view side stalls & side circle seats in the Linbury? I'm thinking of booking but I haven't been in the Linbury for several years & only a few times altogether. As I'm only interested in the event due to the promised prescence of Dame Felicity Lott, one of my favourite sopranos, I don't want to pay too much, especially as the event content is so uncertain.

[Emeralds]

That’s hilarious, @Fonty! 😁😂 (Did your brother know who Sleep was when it happened?) Good response by your sister-in-law, and I hope your brother recovered quickly from the shock/embarrassment! I guess Langan’s could  say that their patrons would have an unforgettable time dining with them......😂

 

Sorry I don’t know the Linbury at all to be able to answer your question, @Dawnstar.....hopefully other members who have watched productions there can tell you soon. The blurb promises “a performance” by Sleep but doesn’t say what it could be. Being reminded of another celebration at ROH where he did a twirl with Diana, Princess of Wales (to the tune of Uptown Girl, we are told), I wonder if he and Felicity Lott will perform a similar twirl....?! (Also heartbreaking to remember that while Sleep will soon be 75, the younger Princess of Wales, who would have been 62 this year, has already been gone -too soon- for over 25 years.) 

[Balletfanp]

17 hours ago, Fonty said:

True Wayne Sleep story:

My brother and sister-in-law were having a meal in Langham's Brasserie* in London some years ago.  A slightly inebriated Wayne Sleep, who was dining at a nearby table, came and sat on my brother's lap and said "My word, what a handsome chap you are."  .  

 

My brother was extremely embarrassed; my s-i-l dissolved into fits of laughter, before saying "Yes he is, and he is my handsome chap, so hands off him!"  Hand shakes all round before Mr Sleep returned to his table.  

* For those that don't know, LB is a restaurant in London near the Ritz Hotel where you can often see famous faces.  I think a media person had a financial interest in it once.  Maybe Michael Caine?

Great story! But he must have fallen on harder times or something more recently as I saw him a few years ago in the Bow St Pizza Express! But he didn’t sit on anyone’s lap on that occasion…..😂

[Dawnstar]

2 hours ago, Emeralds said:

Being reminded of another celebration at ROH where he did a twirl with Diana, Princess of Wales (to the tune of Uptown Girl, we are told), I wonder if he and Felicity Lott will perform a similar twirl....?!

 

That possibility had occurred to me too. The height difference between the partners would be similar!

[art_enthusiast]

18 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

Can anyone offer any opinions on the restricted view side stalls & side circle seats in the Linbury? 

 

I've sat in the front row of the side stalls, very close to the stage. It's a great view unencumbered by people, I suppose the downside is that you might feel a little too close to the stage. May be a different story for the row behind, I'm not too sure. 

 

The restricted view side circle are also good.

Edited June 14, 2023 by art_enthusiast

[Fonty]

6 hours ago, Emeralds said:

That’s hilarious, @Fonty! 😁😂 (Did your brother know who Sleep was when it happened?) Good response by your sister-in-law, and I hope your brother recovered quickly from the shock/embarrassment! I guess Langan’s could  say that their patrons would have an unforgettable time dining with them......😂

 

 

 

Yes, they are both keen dance fans, so they had already recognised him.   All part of the fun of eating at Langan's.....

[Ian Macmillan]

Am I imagining having seen Wayne Sleep and Michael Coleman do a soft-shoe shuffle to We're a couple of swells at some special night at Sadler's Wells a good 10 years or so back?    

[Emeralds]

38 minutes ago, Ian Macmillan said:

Am I imagining having seen Wayne Sleep and Michael Coleman do a soft-shoe shuffle to We're a couple of swells at some special night at Sadler's Wells a good 10 years or so back?    

I’ll have to pass on that question, Ian....I personally didn’t see it but would have liked to! Hmm, SWT rather than ROH means it wasn’t a Friends of the ROH event or ROH Gala. Might it have been another gala or celebration staged at SWT? Or a charity fundraiser? 

[Dawnstar]

Slightly more information from this tweet.

 

 

[Bluebird]

On 13/06/2023 at 20:02, Dawnstar said:

Can anyone offer any opinions on the restricted view side stalls & side circle seats in the Linbury? I'm thinking of booking but I haven't been in the Linbury for several years & only a few times altogether. As I'm only interested in the event due to the promised prescence of Dame Felicity Lott, one of my favourite sopranos, I don't want to pay too much, especially as the event content is so uncertain.

 

On 14/06/2023 at 14:45, art_enthusiast said:

 

I've sat in the front row of the side stalls, very close to the stage. It's a great view unencumbered by people, I suppose the downside is that you might feel a little too close to the stage. May be a different story for the row behind, I'm not too sure. 

 

I believe it is, indeed, a different story and that the back row of the side stalls has a very restricted view.

 

On 14/06/2023 at 14:45, art_enthusiast said:

The restricted view side circle are also good.

 

Where in the side circle were you, art_enthusiast?  My experience is that the view is extremely restricted in the side circle. It's even somewhat restricted at the very ends of row B centre block and this must have been noted as, for some productions, the ends of row B centre block are cheaper than the rest of the row.

 

Actually, for an interview, the view restriction might not matter as the participants will, presumably, be sitting in the centre of the stage.

Edited June 20, 2023 by Bluebird

[art_enthusiast]

28 minutes ago, Bluebird said:

Where in the side circle were you

All my comments refer to row A only. I can’t speak for the rows behind.

[Dawnstar]

Did anyone end up going to this? (I eventually decided not to, as I would have had to kill over 5 and a half hours between it & the show I'm seeing this evening.) There doesn't appear to be a cast sheet on the ROH's website to indicate what the event ended up comprising. I'm curious to know what Dame Felicity Lott's appearance involved.

[Emeralds]

I couldn’t go after all as something urgent came up, and had to return my ticket (which seemed to resell very swiftly) but would also be interested to hear any reactions from anyone who did! 

[Blossom]

I booked, originally thinking this was in the evening and had to cancel as it was inconveniently in the middle of the day and I no longer work on the doorstep of the ROH. Hoping this may have been recorded and that it might make it to youtube... In the meantime keen to hear from anyone who was there too.

 

[Dawnstar]

34 minutes ago, Blossom said:

Hoping this may have been recorded and that it might make it to youtube...

 

I did ask on Twitter when the ROH tweeted about the event last week if it would be streamed, as it was marked as camera filming on the website, but I didn't receive a reply.