Royal Ballet - Swan Lake 2024

[Silke H]

Could someone please enlighten me what this 'younger sister' and 'sister' means? I just spotted this on the evening's cast sheet but don't think I've ever seen it before. 

 

[alison]

That's funny, I'd never noticed it before today either.  Surely the logic would then be to call the other one "Older/elder sister", not just "Sister"?

 

And on that note, let it be recorded that Annette Buvoli suffered an injury in Act I, and was replaced in Act III by Sae Maeda, who in turn was replaced as the Italian Princess(?) by Bomin Kim.  I hope the injury isn't serious.

[Lindsay]

I thought Francesca was absolutely beautiful tonight - so much more confident in the role than she seemed on her debut.  She may not have the long limbs that one perhaps thinks characteristic of Odette but she ‘dances big’ and brings a certain old-fashioned glamour to the role which I haven’t yet seen from anyone else this run.  Very dramatically effective.  And Matthew Ball is really a very reliable partner these days.  
 

I felt for Mariko a bit this afternoon - as others have said the partnering was a bit tentative and it must be very hard for a ballerina to do all those backward falls and penchee turns with abandon if she doesn’t feel entirely safe.  But I thought both she and Joseph shone in their solos and they were very promising public debuts.

 

Kudos also to Meghan Hingis who seems to have covered for endless sisters recently and has a very lively and joyful take on her Act 1 variation 

[ChrisG]

6 hours ago, alison said:

And on that note, let it be recorded that Annette Buvoli suffered an injury in Act I

She stumbled during her variation and it looked like her ankle gave way. She finished the pas de trois seemingly without problem so hopefully it's just a sprain - let's hope so anyway as she's a dancer I enjoy watching, especially having seen her SPF debut in January!

[Tiptoesmama]

Not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but during the first interval tonight,  an audience member (I think) came and stood directly behind my seat (leaning on it too).  I assumed she was just getting an idea of the view from that seating area as it was an interval - but she then remained there for the entirety of act 3 (leaning over me at one point).  I thought the standing areas were behind a barrier - are people allowed to just stand behind a seat during the performance? She wasn’t there for the final act.  Thought I’d check on here before making a complaint in case this is a normal thing to do or if it’s allowed in certain circumstances.  There were loose tall seat behind us to the right so it must have blocked their view as well.  We were in the Donald Grand tier.  I found it really distracting to an otherwise beautiful night 😭
 

[Rob S]

2 minutes ago, Tiptoesmama said:

Not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but during the first interval tonight,  an audience member (I think) came and stood directly behind my seat (leaning on it too).  I assumed she was just getting an idea of the view from that seating area as it was an interval - but she then remained there for the entirety of act 3 (leaning over me at one point).  I thought the standing areas were behind a barrier - are people allowed to just stand behind a seat during the performance? She wasn’t there for the final act.  Thought I’d check on here before making a complaint in case this is a normal thing to do or if it’s allowed in certain circumstances.  There were loose tall seat behind us to the right so it must have blocked their view as well.  We were in the Donald Grand tier.  I found it really distracting to an otherwise beautiful night 😭
 

The simple answer is that there are no designated standing places in the DG tier, she shouldn’t have been there 

[Emeralds]

There are no standing room places in the Grand Tier, @Tiptoesmama - she was there illegally. You should indeed write in to make a complaint. (Am assuming it wasn't an usher- she should have had ID if she was, and would/should not have been standing there if so).

Edited May 12 by Emeralds

[Rob S]

7 hours ago, Silke H said:

Could someone please enlighten me what this 'younger sister' and 'sister' means? I just spotted this on the evening's cast sheet but don't think I've ever seen it before. 

 

Spotted that, not been described as that in any other cast 🤔

[Emeralds]

7 hours ago, Silke H said:

Could someone please enlighten me what this 'younger sister' and 'sister' means? I just spotted this on the evening's cast sheet but don't think I've ever seen it before. 

 

Looks like a mistake, Silke H- normally (in every run) it says "Prince Siegfried's Younger Sisters...." then lists both dancers' names together on the same line.

[Emeralds]

@Rob S and I seem to be reading and replying to the same questions simultaneously....spooky. 😄  Thanks for your great photos during this Swan Lake run, RobS!  👍 (Am signing off for a bit.) 

[Rob S]

11 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

Looks like a mistake, Silke H- normally (in every run) it says "Prince Siegfried's Younger Sisters...." then lists both dancers' names together on the same line.

It seems there’s variation

 

29th Apr

27th Apr

 

 

 

[Tiptoesmama]

19 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

There are no standing room places in the Grand Tier, @Tiptoesmama - she was there illegally. You should indeed write in to make a complaint. (Am assuming it wasn't an usher- she should have had ID if she was, and would/should not have been standing there if so).

Definitely not an usher - she had a pink blazer on and a handbag.  I was surprised an usher didn’t deal with it (I couldn’t get out of my seat to get an usher without walking in front of an entire row of people to get out).  I think I will email a complaint.  Loved the performance aside from that!

[zxDaveM]

Perhaps it's a running gag in the company relating to the actual ages of sisters cast and their respective Siegfrieds  (where the Prince might be youngest, middle or oldest child)  🙂

[Richard LH]

9 minutes ago, Tiptoesmama said:

Definitely not an usher - she had a pink blazer on and a handbag.

The Phantom of the Opera House?

[Mary]

Wandered in off the street? So many people in the theatre who don't have tickets these days...and tickets are omly checked at the start..

[LinMM]

Regarding the lady who was standing in the Grand Tier…….Actually I once was allowed to stand in the Grand Tier briefly when I was late for a performance once about six or seven years or so ago now…..whenever they last did Concerto! 
Id missed the first movement and had never ever been late before ( train problems when we all got turfed off a train suddenly at East Croydon) 

I was saying to an usher how much I really loved this ballet and was so disappointed I was late especially to miss the glorious second movement! .
I  was assuming I’d watch on Tv but she said come with me and took me to the Grand Tier (one and only time probably will be in there) ….dont ask me why the usher took me there …but I was nowhere near anyone’s seat…just standing at the very back against the wall I seem to remember. I was so grateful to this Usher and didn’t disturb the performance. 
If this was a similar situation on Saturday with the lady in the pink jacket perhaps she moved from where she was told to stand so very naughty of her. I was very aware that the people in the seats in the Grand Tier had paid a small fortune for their seats  so wouldn’t have dared to move other than where I was put and from where had an excellent view anyway. 
 

I so wished I could have seen Francesca in Swan Lake I’m sure she brought a very human quality to the role. 

[RobR]

So, did anyone see last night’s performance?

[Sim]

1 minute ago, RobR said:

So, did anyone see last night’s performance?

Lindsay posted a few words above.

[RobR]

12 minutes ago, Sim said:

Lindsay posted a few words above.

Thanks Sim 😀

[supergolden]

Just a few thoughts... I very much enjoyed last night's performance. I had an odd seat, purchased during Friday Rush (stalls circle C89 which is to the side and partially restricted). It was however the closest I have ever sat to the stage and it was thrilling to be able to see the slightest expression in the dancers' faces and bodies.*

I found the Francesca and Matty pairing wonderful, I think I enjoyed it more than her turn with W Bracewell. There's a sequence in the PDD in which his hands somehow never touch her arms, they seem to hover protectively a few inches away and very gradually and tentatively grow closer until they finally embrace. I can't really explain it but it was very moving. 
 

The swans were beautiful (although the right side of the stage was pretty much obscured for me) and the music seemed to follow the needs of the dancers - I have never noticed that before. I think the composer was very subtly adjusting for the performance to boost them and lift them. 
 

I hope, with the forum's help, I can find a better seating choice that's both clear view, close to stage and not too expensive - does such a unicorn exist?? 
 

* unfortunately close enough to see the Sister sprain (?) her ankle, I literally gasped out loud.  

Edited May 12 by supergolden

[taxi4ballet]

1 hour ago, supergolden said:

...and the music seemed to follow the needs of the dancers - I have never noticed that before. I think the composer was very subtly adjusting for the performance to boost them and lift them. 

I noticed that yesterday afternoon too.

[lady emily]

4 hours ago, zxDaveM said:

Perhaps it's a running gag in the company relating to the actual ages of sisters cast and their respective Siegfrieds  (where the Prince might be youngest, middle or oldest child)  🙂

I’m choosing to believe this is the true answer 😂

[Jamesrhblack]

It was possibly  a mistake to attempt the Double, particularly as I had been so moved by the matinée and I am unsure whether or not to post my observations, especially as as the whole experience was marred by the strange view from my very expensive seat (the supporting pillar in font of me in the Grand Tier didn’t cut across my view but destroyed any sense of perspective rendering involvement impossible) and the non-stop whispering of the two young ladies to my left as they played with their phones impervious to requests for quiet.

 

Francesca Hayward always makes such a strong impression when I see her in MacMillan (Manon, Vetsera, Marie - haven’t seen her Juliet ‘live’) that I am surprised her dancing per se in a role such as Odette - Odile doesn’t make more impact. Her delicacy isn’t quite what I want from an Odette (I prefer greater length of line and impact of movement) but the musicality and detail are touching, if not moving, and she shirks nothing, albeit adapting her solo to go to the left.

 

She made a rather splendid first impression as Odile, using her eyes and body to create a sense of glamour and allure and was splendid in the pas de deux, her balance long, sure and not lifted too high. She began to fade in the solo, the start of which caused problems for Magri and O’Sullivan too as I recall from 2022, again turning to the left and if she does attempt this marathon again I hope she will determine a different solution to the challenge of the foutées. I got into trouble in 2022 referring to them so will write no more on that.

 

I’d rather lost the will to live by the last act but the wider audience seemed enthusiastic.

 

Matthew Ball seemed in much surer form than at the cinema relay and was a suitably supportive partner although simply as a dancer I don’t find him as beautiful to watch as William Bracewell or Joseph Sissens or as dramatically involving as was Alexander Campbell.

 

As noted, Annette Buvoli injured herself during her Act 1 solo so kudos to Sae Maeda and Bomin Kim for stepping up so seamlessly to rescue the situation in Act 3.

 

At the very beginning of the evening, I had asked the Usher whether she had any thoughts on the view from my seat (I’ve tried posting a picture but the file is too big) and she said it was sold as “restricted view.” I countered that it was sold at full price with no warning on the ticket (showing her my emailed ticket as proof) but she maintained that her information was correct and referred me to The Front Desk. They were rather more helpful, agreed that there was an issue, congratulated me on taking a photograph and suggested I send it to Customer Services, together with my observations.

 

These are obviously personal observations on what was a discombobulating evening when I probably wasn’t in the best mood to watch.

 

 

Edited May 13 by Jamesrhblack

[JohnS]

I very much enjoyed Saturday’s double Swan Lake.
 

The matinee certainly had an abundance of energy which made for a vibrant performance if as others have said a bit rough in places. Mariko Sasaki and Joseph Sissens had impressed at the General Rehearsal and again in their public debut, and I was very taken with Act 4. I thought Sissens made more of the ending by bringing Odette’s body centre stage much more quickly than other Siegfrieds. Those extra moments, a bar or two, I found very telling. A shame that Odette’s sprit made the briefest of appearances when Sissens had done so well in creating time to savour the close. It all seems a little arbitrary as I think we had the longest appearance of Odette’s spirit I’ve seen in the evening’s performance and, as far as I’m concerned, most welcome.

 

I thought the evening performance a delight, Francesca Hayward and Matthew Ball compelling in their characterisations and delivering much more than the sum of their own performances despite such little rehearsal time together. Hayward held a fabulous balance in Act 3 and her fouettés were on the beat, and sustained to the end. Whilst she travelled a bit, the direction was centred (ie towards the conductor) not on the diagonal. I know some Odiles throw in doubles and triples but overall I thought Hayward’s fouettés more than served Odile’s purpose. I’ve always been hugely taken with Hayward’s vulnerable Odette and her Odile has certainly made a stunning impact so it was great to see her performance enhanced by how she dealt with the obvious challenges. Ball is an accomplished Siegfried and I thought this performance one of his best, everything just so and a wonderfully sympathetic character. And Hayward and Ball made a fabulous pair. I rather liked Siegfried’s congratulations for Odile at the end of their pdd and Odile having to remove his hand. Act 4 was fabulous with both Hayward and Ball in their element showing what strong actors they are. Again the ending didn’t seem rushed and as I said the longest appearance of Odette’s spirit which seemed entirely fitting and I hope will feature as standard.

 

The evening performance benefited from Gary Avis’s magnificent Von Rothbart and I did like Elizabeth McGorian’s most regal of Queens in the matinee. Given Charlotte Tonkinson‘s double sister combined with cygnet at the matinee, I couldn’t help but smile when she found herself in the spotlight as a cygnet front stage at the end and it took a moment or two for the spotlight to be adjusted. And enormous congratulations to the corps for another double Swan Lake.
 

A hugely satisfying double Swan Lake to bring the curtain on this first part of the run and we can look forward to more Swan Lakes in June.

[JohnS]

I think we posted simultaneously @Jamesrhblack and I’m very sorry to see how disappointing your view was and that you had to contend with incessant whispering/use of phones from your neighbours.
Grand Tier Ballet prices are I’m sure all the same price. For Opera there are now some Grand Tier seats which are marginally discounted  £236 as opposed to £245 for Tosca but it’s a very modest reduction. And I think in the Stalls there are now 5 prices for Opera but normally only 3 for Ballet. These extra price categories for Opera seem yet another example where Ballet audiences miss out.

[Sim]

Just now, Jamesrhblack said:

Thank you @JohnS and @alison for your kind words of sympathy which are appreciated.

James, regarding the two people chatting and looking at their phones, didn't the usher come and ask them to stop?  Everywhere else in the House the ushers pounce as soon as they a phone being switched on.  Did you complain to the usher in the interval?  One wonders why people like that bother going to the ballet when they should clearly be in the pub...especially at those prices!

[Jamesrhblack]

1 minute ago, Sim said:

James, regarding the two people chatting and looking at their phones, didn't the usher come and ask them to stop?  Everywhere else in the House the ushers pounce as soon as they a phone being switched on.  Did you complain to the usher in the interval?  One wonders why people like that bother going to the ballet when they should clearly be in the pub...especially at those prices!

Because I’d raised an issue over the view from my seat before the performance with the usher, I didn’t want to be thought of as a nuisance. 

[Sim]

1 minute ago, Jamesrhblack said:

Because I’d raised an issue over the view from my seat before the performance with the usher, I didn’t want to be thought of as a nuisance. 

I think when you have paid that amount for a ticket, you had every right to complain.  Actually it doesn't matter what you pay for a ticket....no-one should be disturbed by people talking and looking at their phones.  Good job it wasn't me sitting next to them!!

[Lindsay]

The ushers had a rough night on Saturday.  Somebody near the front of the stalls was taking photos and video on their phone multiple times during the first two acts and a crowd descended on the poor usher at the interval demanding that  retribution be delivered.  She made a general announcement to the section and all was well for the remaining two acts.

[Richard LH]

1 hour ago, Sim said:

Good job it wasn't me sitting next to them!!

😂

[Josette]

48 minutes ago, Lindsay said:

The ushers had a rough night on Saturday.  Somebody near the front of the stalls was taking photos and video on their phone multiple times during the first two acts and a crowd descended on the poor usher at the interval demanding that  retribution be delivered.  She made a general announcement to the section and all was well for the remaining two acts.

I was in Row B8 and somehow missed all this.  

[StellaBella]

7 hours ago, JohnS said:

I thought the evening performance a delight, Francesca Hayward and Matthew Ball compelling in their characterisations and delivering much more than the sum of their own performances despite such little rehearsal time together.... Hayward held a fabulous balance in Act 3 and her fouettés were on the beat, and sustained to the end. Whilst she travelled a bit, the direction was centred (ie towards the conductor) not on the diagonal. I know some Odiles throw in doubles and triples but overall I thought Hayward’s fouettés more than served Odile’s purpose. I’ve always been hugely taken with Hayward’s vulnerable Odette and her Odile has certainly made a stunning impact so it was great to see her performance enhanced by how she dealt with the obvious challenges. Ball is an accomplished Siegfried and I thought this performance one of his best, everything just so and a wonderfully sympathetic character. And Hayward and Ball made a fabulous pair. I rather liked Siegfried’s congratulations for Odile at the end of their pdd and Odile having to remove his hand. Act 4 was fabulous with both Hayward and Ball in their element showing what strong actors they are. Again the ending didn’t seem rushed and as I said the longest appearance of Odette’s spirit which seemed entirely fitting and I hope will feature as standard.

 

 

 

Hello all, this is my first post and I felt compelled to move out of the lurking shadows, if only on the odd occasion.  @JohnS your recent reviews convey everything I've felt about watching Francesca Hayward as Odette/Odile in the two performances I've seen in the past few weeks.  I can't express how deeply I was moved by her and Matthew Ball on Saturday night and I'm still feeling it today. So thank you for saying everything I wish I could articulate, and more.

 

To everyone who contributes on here, please know that this forum has been a very recent discovery for me and I have devoured so many of the topics and read so many thoughtful and knowledgeable reviews with great joy.  Your passion for the ballet has inspired me to abandon plans for a holiday this year in order to fill the great, gaping ballet sized hole in my life with as many visits as I can. 

 

Ballet was my great love as a child and I attended class every Saturday when living in London at the RAD Knightsbridge, where Fonteyn would occasionally come to watch us (circa 1969/1970). I'm not sure if we were called Junior Associates then but I do remember we were banned from tap/modern.  Or horse riding - bad for the turnout! We must have been taken to occasional performances as I saw Fonteyn/Nureyev in Swan Lake and queued for hours to get them to sign my programme. 

 

Life changed, I moved, and although my love of all dance continued I have only returned to ROH this season. Life took me on a different path and I now have some freedom to return to my first love, albeit when finance allows for London trips and overnight stays. What I would give to be living in London now and coming to multiple castings. So I live vicariously through all your wonderful reviews/comments/news in the meantime.

 

I think Francesca holds a special place for me as I'm 5ft exactly and also petite.  Perhaps I identify with her qualities because of that, but I will get the chance to break out of that particular bubble when I see the Ashton triple next month.

[Jan McNulty]

Hello @StellaBella and welcome to the Forum!  I do hope that now you've broken the ice you will post more.