This time, I will sneak into the London Opera House “Royal Opera House” and watch the ballet performance <<The Winter’s Tale>>. Please note that the ticket exchange is listed here.
At the Western Opera House, the glamorous and elegant lobby, seating and social space for ladies and gentlemen are among the pleasures of every European trip. What kind of world is waiting for ROYAL (royal family), the noble London Opera House?
※This article was written before the virus scandal. This will be updated.
Index
entrance hall
The entrance is narrow and the structure is the same as other opera houses without a big opening as the main gate.
As soon as I entered, there was a simple ticket check and baggage check. I couldn’t get to the front of the seat without a ticket at the South Bank Center, so I don’t think so at the Opera.
No tipping in the cloakroom.
This time, for ORCHESTRA STALL (a seat on a flat floor), you will leave your luggage in the cloakroom. In case of BALCONY BOX on the upper floor, there is a cloak for each box, so you don’t need to check it. This is no different from other opera houses.
The cloakroom was tip-free. If you have to pay 2 €like you do in Vienna, you might be a little hesitant to leave it.
Aim for the 1st floor seats (ORCHESTRA STALL). Again, the social hall seemed to be on the upper floor, and the approach to the first floor was a low ceiling passage.
I feel excited because it looks like a stage sleeve.
an auditorium with a sophisticated glow
Going up the wooden stairs, I came out behind ORCHESTRA STALL.
Just behind the stairs is the STALLS CIRCLE seat. The first row here is also in the 1st category, but it may be a good seat with a good view, though it is far from the stage.
The area around the stage is gold-plated, but it is not dazzlingly decorated, and it looks chic. You can feel the elegance that matches the name of ROYAL.
There is no ceiling painting, but the circular dome ceiling is stylish.
If you look at people’s clothes, the percentage of men wearing formal attire is high as expected. However, “bow tie” and “pocket handkerchief” do not stand out like in Vienna, and it is just like “after work”. I only wore a collared shirt and a jacket, and I didn’t wear a tie.
Seats in the 2nd category
Well, my seat is E -25 in the 5th row from the front. Looking at the seating chart, it is in the 2nd category, but there is only one row difference from the 1st category.
Well, the difference is £5, so it doesn’t bother me. By the way, for a ballet performance at the Opera House, £117 in the 1st category is extraordinary. Of course the price will be a little higher for opera performances, but it is still cheap considering the price level in England.
The seat width was very narrow, and when I saw the large men lined up, it looked cramped. I’m glad I kept an aisle seat …。
Viewability is not bad. Fortunately, there were only women around, so there was no stress. The sound is well balanced from bass to treble, and it has a sense of reality and good!
When I look around, I see people with elementary school children. Boys wear jackets and girls dress up a little and look stylish. In this way, children can experience a social place for adults.
Ballet Performance <<winter word>>
By the way, I bought a program in the lobby, but unlike the Royal Phil, the list of Cast was inserted later. In addition, this mail merge was distributed for free, so if you just want to know the performers or the outline, you don’t need to buy a program.
Today’s program is <<The Winter’s Tale>>. Based on Shakespeare’s script, the British Royal Ballet has created a 3-act ballet that was first performed around the world in April 2014.
A somber story about a man’s jealousy …。 I have read through the plot, but I get sleepy just by reading it …。 However, the stage decorations are mostly pink and yellow-green, which gave me an impression of spring. In addition, dancers pulled down a huge curtain with their hands, which was a novel direction typical of modern ballet.
I often listen to “Lydian mode” music. The harmony is easy to listen to, but I feel sleepy because there is no characteristic melody. It would be fun if there were easy-to-understand stories like <<Nutcracker>>, cute decorations, and exciting melodies, but it would take about six months to understand this work.
Next time is break time, foyer social place !
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