ROH Spring 2024 booking

[Tufty]

SCS have been my favourite for twenty years, but seems harder than ever to get them as there are so many tiers above General Booking. Have previously been a Friend and Friend Plus but used to sometimes have better luck on General Booking days when more tickets were released. Thought with so many performances of Swan Lake it would be easier, but by the time I had reached the end of the queue after more than 15 minutes, they had all gone! I’ll think I’ll join Friends Plus again, at least if booking isn’t any easier I can still enjoy the Friends rehearsals. 

[Silke H]

8 minutes ago, Tufty said:

Have previously been a Friend and Friend Plus but used to sometimes have better luck on General Booking days when more tickets were released.

Alas, this is still the case, I'm Friends+ level and am struggling to get decent SCS by the time it gets to our booking period and am often relying on general booking still.

[alison]

5 hours ago, alison said:

Went off to get a drink, and when I came back I found the computer had reverted to the log-in screen - it had crashed, for no specified reason.  So, relaunched Firefox, and getting twitchy because it was close to 9 am.  Got one of those "can't access ROH server"-type messages.  Tried launching Edge, with no joy.  [...] Still on Firefox, all I'm getting is a 500 error from the ROH website.

 

Atrocious, although admittedly not all the ROH's fault this time, by the looks of things.

 

Definitely not all the ROH's fault: that crash, whatever it was, appears to have taken out my link to the WiFi somehow, and after hours trying to repair it I've had to move onto a different computer just to be able to get online

[Dawnstar]

1 hour ago, Silke H said:

Alas, this is still the case, I'm Friends+ level and am struggling to get decent SCS by the time it gets to our booking period and am often relying on general booking still.

 

So what level friend do peple have to be to guarantee getting the standing tickets they want? Given how big the cost jumps are between each Friends level, there must be a danger of someone getting to the stage where they're spending so much on membership that it'd be cheaper to buy seats when public booking opens than to pay for early access to standing tickets.

 

When trying to check availability just now for a Manon performance I was surprised to have to queue, albeit only for a minute. Usually I find it's only for the first hour or so after booking opens that one may still encounter a queue.

[Blossom]

5 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

 

So what level friend do peple have to be to guarantee getting the standing tickets they want? Given how big the cost jumps are between each Friends level, there must be a danger of someone getting to the stage where they're spending so much on membership that it'd be cheaper to buy seats when public booking opens than to pay for early access to standing tickets.

 

When trying to check availability just now for a Manon performance I was surprised to have to queue, albeit only for a minute. Usually I find it's only for the first hour or so after booking opens that one may still encounter a queue.

I guess it depends what’s most important to you about where you sit or stand. My pet peeve is other people’s heads being in the way, which is why I prefer to stand with the occasional row A or loose balcony seats. 
The tall stools with slight restricted view on the balcony have seen a price hike for Manon which made the price of the clear view in the row infront a more valuable seat- twice the price but more than twice the value. However, these seats are available only a month before if unbooked by access customers, so there are no guarantees.

In contrast, even at an old theatre like the Coliseum, there are much fewer restrictions on view. Even the far sides of the curve of the dress circle provide a very central, unrestricted (and unoccluded by heads) view for the first few rows. It’s incredibly frustrating that ROH can charge such a premium for such poor visibility.

[Linnzi5]

5 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

 

So what level friend do peple have to be to guarantee getting the standing tickets they want? Given how big the cost jumps are between each Friends level, there must be a danger of someone getting to the stage where they're spending so much on membership that it'd be cheaper to buy seats when public booking opens than to pay for early access to standing tickets.

 

When trying to check availability just now for a Manon performance I was surprised to have to queue, albeit only for a minute. Usually I find it's only for the first hour or so after booking opens that one may still encounter a queue.

To be honest, I don't usually book standing tickets, too lazy to stand, so I can't say how many were left for performances I wanted when booking opened for me as I didn't look - I just nabbed the tickets I wanted. However, rather unusually for me, I decided to book a standing ticket for an extra Swan Lake on Sunday on a whim (or because I don't really want to further incur the wrath of Mr Linnzi and pay a lot for yet another SL ticket!) It's not central, but booking opened some weeks back for me.  I'm guessing there would have been some better standing circle tickets available back then, though I suspect the best, central standing tickets had already gone had I tried on the first day available to me. On Sunday, there were about 5 side standing tickets left for the SL I booked for.  I'm also presuming that the really popular performances (e.g. opening night) would have all gone before I got the chance to book. I think, and other forum members may well correct me here, that Friends+ is probably good enough for non-central standing tickets?

 

Edit: Sorry, should have made it clear I'm talking about the Stalls Standing tickets.

Edited January 11 by Linnzi5

[San Perregrino]

On 11/01/2024 at 12:09, Rob S said:

 

It did indeed say the Linbury but as the seat can't be chosen (at least in advance) I assume we stand on the stage with them

Joe Sissens has posted pics on IG of himself rehearsing with Melissa Hamilton for DWEB. 

[LinMM]

DWEB? 

[San Perregrino]

56 minutes ago, LinMM said:

DWEB? 

The promenade performance that you were asking about 

[art_enthusiast]

So promenade means standing on stage with them? I’m a bit confused about how that would work 

 

I would like to see Sissens/Hamilton though, two of my favourite dancers 

[San Perregrino]

1 hour ago, art_enthusiast said:

So promenade means standing on stage with them? I’m a bit confused about how that would work 

 

I would like to see Sissens/Hamilton though, two of my favourite dancers 

 

it would seem that all the stall seats will be removed too with dancers in that space as well as or instead of onstage.

 

per the website:

BACKGROUND

Dark with Excessive Bright imagines the invisible forces of our universe in human form. The dance captures the growth, decay, chaos and consistency that always co-exist in our world. The music acts as the gravitational force, holding these elements in orbit. Dark with Excessive Bright reflects the world we live in, but with the addition of the principles we need in order to shape a more possible future – care and community – bubbling to the surface.

The audience enters an environment already alive with music, light and movement, staying for a period of 45 minutes and then moving on to make way for another wave of people who enter as they exit. With the floor clear of seats, each individual can define their own experience of the work by moving between three performance areas or standing back to take in the full picture. Moments of extraordinary intimacy – watching a person dance just a metre away – can be contrasted with a bird's-eye view of the entire performance from the balcony.

The movements are never improvised but exist within a structure that holds multiple possibilities through in-the-moment decision making from the dancers. This means music, dance and light are constantly realigning so that with each performance this ballet is created anew and never replicated. Audience and performers both have freedom to shape their experience and that of each other, making this ballet an intimate exchange and an expression of free will.

Edited January 13 by PeterS

[Jan McNulty]

I attended a promenade performance by a physical theatre company a good few years ago.  I don't know if the Linbury is the same as The Lowry Quays Theatre but the stage had been levelled off to ground level as well as all the stalls seats having been removed.

 

It was good fun wandering around seeing the different groups of movement.  The performance wasn't too long and ran without an interval so it wasn't too arduous.  I vaguely remembering one member of the audience having mobility and stability issues so the theatre staff brought them a chair to sit on.

[OnePigeon]

I haven’t booked my Macmillan triple tickets yet as I’m still not sure about casting.  I seem to recall triple bills I’ve seen in the past have had the same cast for every performance, whilst others have had alternate casts.  I haven’t seen a RB triple for a good number of years though - is there a pattern to these things these days? I see two of the performances are being filmed and feel one of these might be the date to book, but there’s no guarantee my preferred dancers (basically, my decision will hinge on if and when Vadim is dancing 😄) will be filmed.  I wonder if the lack of information on dancers indicates it will be the same dancers for all performances and therefore all uninjured principals will be cast in one of the works, or is that just wishful thinking?

[alison]

I suspect it is.  I'm assuming at a minimum two (scheduled) casts for each work, although whether it's always "Cast A/Cast A/Cast A" and "Cast B/Cast B/Cast B" or whether there's more mix-and-matching remains to be seen.  Good point that two performances are being filmed, so presumably those will be the same cast (and probably the "first" cast?).  So actually I reckon it would be a fair bet that the first night and those other two performances would be one cast and the other cast(s) would be on the other dates.

[San Perregrino]

Re: Provisional Running Time for New Works in the Main House 15/2, 16/2, 20/2 & 21/2.

“Thank you for contacting the Royal Opera House.

 

It is looking like the Festival of New Choreography is running at 1 hour and 51 minutes. 

 

I hope this is helpful.

 

 

[LinMM]

Now I’ve reorganised so can attend the March 7th Swan Lake with Corrales and Magri it is sold out. 
It’s been saying all morning that there are 31 tickets available but there aren’t!! Just one right at the top of the Amphitheatre so will just have to look out for returns now. 

[Emeralds]

On 13/01/2024 at 19:59, OnePigeon said:

I haven’t booked my Macmillan triple tickets yet as I’m still not sure about casting.  I seem to recall triple bills I’ve seen in the past have had the same cast for every performance, whilst others have had alternate casts.  I haven’t seen a RB triple for a good number of years though - is there a pattern to these things these days? I see two of the performances are being filmed and feel one of these might be the date to book, but there’s no guarantee my preferred dancers (basically, my decision will hinge on if and when Vadim is dancing 😄) will be filmed.  I wonder if the lack of information on dancers indicates it will be the same dancers for all performances and therefore all uninjured principals will be cast in one of the works, or is that just wishful thinking?

I'd be very surprised if there weren't at least 2 casts, OnePigeon. Given that some of the dancing and partnering will be complex, I suspect there will be 3 casts (although possibly 1 or 2 may have just 2 casts). I suspect Vadim will be in Danses Concertantes and probably Requiem as well, and probably in the first cast (but can't say whether that's first cast for DC or R). This is just guessing based on past casting- I have absolutely no insider tips. 

[alison]

I just went "What the heck, it's Requiem, and I can actually afford to sit down for this one for once", and booked the lot - oops, including the cinema relay.  Mistake   

[LinMM]

How often does the ROH update its seating map? 
For three days now there is erroneous information on seat availability for SL March 7th! 
It keeps saying there are 32 seats available but there has been only one but that has now gone. 
I just don’t believe that every time I access the map there are 32 people with tickets in their baskets!! 
Where are these 32 seats? 

[Guest oncnp]

7 minutes ago, LinMM said:

How often does the ROH update its seating map? 
For three days now there is erroneous information on seat availability for SL March 7th! 
It keeps saying there are 32 seats available but there has been only one but that has now gone. 
I just don’t believe that every time I access the map there are 32 people with tickets in their baskets!! 
Where are these 32 seats? 

 

Not just 7 March. Almost all of the (early at least) SLs are wrong (# of tickets "available" v. seat map). 'Been that way for at least a couple weeks. 

 

You might have better luck calling the box office

Edited January 17 by oncnp

[LinMM]

Yes after refreshing phone and still same info I was thinking of doing that! 
Was beginning to think that somebody in the box office is holding on to them lol 

Edited January 17 by LinMM

[OnePigeon]

5 hours ago, alison said:

I just went "What the heck, it's Requiem, and I can actually afford to sit down for this one for once", and booked the lot - oops, including the cinema relay.  Mistake   

Wow, that’s a very safe way of ensuring you get your preferred dancers!  I’m jealous.  The ‘cheaper’ seats are actually quite affordable for this triple, but I can’t keep travelling into London and I’m having to rein in my spending so have taken a punt on one of the performances they’re filming and used my Xmas present gift card to treat myself to a stalls seat. I hope they release some casting info before it’s too late to swap a ticket if I’ve booked the wrong date.

[Bluebird]

7 hours ago, LinMM said:

How often does the ROH update its seating map? 
For three days now there is erroneous information on seat availability for SL March 7th! 
It keeps saying there are 32 seats available but there has been only one but that has now gone. 
I just don’t believe that every time I access the map there are 32 people with tickets in their baskets!! 
Where are these 32 seats? 

Maybe those seats are only available to Access customers.  Access seats can show up in the numbers of available seats on the website but will only be bookable by certain members  of the Access list.

Edited January 17 by Bluebird

[LinMM]

Okay Bluebird thanks ….that could be it but wish there was another way of showing this! 
I will ring tomorrow to double check and report here if I get told something different 

[LinMM]

I rang today and was told some tickets are held back for Friday Rush! Well I’d hope more than 31! 
But also some of them could be access tickets so unless you are registered under that scheme you wouldn’t see which seats were available. 
Still March 7th is a way off yet will keep an eye out for returns. It’s a bit too early to advertise on Forum I think. 

[bridiem]

10 minutes ago, LinMM said:

I rang today and was told some tickets are held back for Friday Rush! Well I’d hope more than 31! 
But also some of them could be access tickets so unless you are registered under that scheme you wouldn’t see which seats were available. 
Still March 7th is a way off yet will keep an eye out for returns. It’s a bit too early to advertise on Forum I think. 

 

In that case they should not be included in the number of tickets left, because they're not actually available.

[LinMM]

Yes I forgot to say that the young lady said they hadn’t yet found out a way of removing them!!! 

[FionaM]

6 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Yes I forgot to say that the young lady said they hadn’t yet found out a way of removing them!!! 

that’s so bad … though it does explain why I often see x number of tickets available and then can’t find any on the map, despite zooming in!

 

oh and I can think of a way to remove these seats.  They create an internal account called ‘Friday Rush’ that buys those seats, thereby removing them from the map.  ‘Friday Rush’ then returns the seats on the relevant Friday.  
 

Simple. 

[LinMM]

I also registered a complaint ( nicely) which I was told would be passed on about one of  cesar’s performances being closed off to general booking for an invited audience when he has been away from the stage for so long and looks to only have two performances altogether. 
Feels like somebody not getting the over view there. 

 

[art_enthusiast]

1 hour ago, LinMM said:

Yes I forgot to say that the young lady said they hadn’t yet found out a way of removing them!!! 

 

Yep, it’s so annoying when you see that there are seats available for a performance and none show up… I always thought that was just a recurring error, not because of access.

[Guest oncnp]

2 hours ago, LinMM said:

I rang today and was told some tickets are held back for Friday Rush! Well I’d hope more than 31! 
But also some of them could be access tickets so unless you are registered under that scheme you wouldn’t see which seats were available. 
Still March 7th is a way off yet will keep an eye out for returns. It’s a bit too early to advertise on Forum I think. 

If that were the case there would be no sold out performances (assuming some tickets are held for every show) and there are Manons and SLs that are sold out.

Edited January 18 by oncnp

[Dawnstar]

Yes, it doesn't make sense given this Saturday's Manon is showing as sold out & the Friday rush tickets for that have yet to be released. At least I jolly well hope they haven't been released as I'm hoping I'll be able to get one tomorrow.

[bangorballetboy]

There are usually 49 Friday Rush tickets per performance...