History — Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House entrance on Bow Street © ROH 2012 The Royal Opera was formed as the Covent Garden Opera Company in 1946, but behind it lies a tradition of operatic performance which goes back for more than 260 years at its home in Covent Garden. In each of the three theatres there have been on the site since 1732, opera has played an important role. The present theatre was built in 1858. During World War II it was used as a dance hall but after the war the idea of public subsidy of the arts was accepted and the decision was made to establish the Royal Opera House as the permanent year-round home of the opera and ballet companies now known as The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet. It was the ballet company which reopened the building on 20 February 1946 with The Sleeping Beauty. The two Companies combined for Purcell’s The Fairy Queen that December, and on 14 January 1947, Covent Garden Opera Company gave its first complete opera performance, Bizet’s Carmen. The man appointed to run the new theatre was David Webster.

His period as General Administrator coincided with the first three Music Directors of the opera company: Karl Rankl (1946–51), Rafael Kubelík (1955–8) and Georg Solti (1961–71). The Rankl period was principally one of establishing the Company and saw the beginnings of the careers of many British singers, including Charles Craig, Geraint Evans and Michael Langdon. This process continued throughout the 1950s and 1960s, with Covent Garden playing a large part in the development of performers such as Amy Shuard, Joan Sutherland, Josephine Veasey and Jon Vickers. Under Kubelík especially there was a considerable emphasis on the idea of an ensemble company, but internationally famous singers regularly appeared as guests: Kirsten Flagstad and Hans Hotter in Wagner; Maria Callas in a variety of roles, culminating in the legendary Franco Zeffirelli production of Tosca in 1964; Birgit Nilsson; Elisabeth Schwarzkopf; Boris Christoff; Tito Gobbi and Ramon Vinay.

Guest conductors included Maria Giulini, Rudolf Kempe and Otto Klemperer. Among the producers and designers who worked at Covent Garden during this time, two Italians were especially notable – Zeffirelli and Luchino Visconti. As well as his Tosca, Zeffirelli also produced the 1959 Lucia di Lammermoor that took Joan Sutherland to international stardom. Later productions included distinguished stagings of Rigoletto, Falstaff and the double bill of Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci. Visconti’s work for the opera company was based on three great Verdi operas: the 1958 centenary production of Don Carlos and later stagings of Il trovatore and La traviata. He also mounted at Covent Garden an art nouveau Der Rosenkavalier. Much of this work carried over into the Solti era, but it was with his arrival as Music Director in 1961 that the Company took its place as one of the world’s leading opera companies. During his time, international awareness of Covent Garden and its singers grew considerably, a process confirmed by the success of the Company’s tour to Munich and West Berlin in 1970.

The Solti period saw numerous developments in the Company’s repertoire and performing style. Of particular importance was the number of new productions of operas by Richard Strauss conducted by Solti himself, including Der Rosenkavalier, Die Frau ohne Schatten, Arabella and Salome. It was during this period in 1968 that the Company became The Royal Opera. Solti continued a fruitful association with The Royal Opera and in 1992 was created Music Director Laureate on the occasion of his 80th birthday. He conducted the very last operatic music to be heard in the theatre at a Farewell Gala marking its closure for redevelopment in July 1997. He died the following September. In 1970 Webster retired to be succeeded by John Tooley, and the following year Colin Davis took over as Music Director. This new partnership succeeded in maintaining the Company’s place in the top league of international houses. The world’s leading singers appeared regularly with guest conductors of the quality of Claudio Abbado, Christoph von Dohnányi, Bernard Haitink, Carlos Kleiber and Riccardo Muti.

Major new productions included Götz Friedrich’s centenary Der Ring des Nibelungen and the first British staging of the complete Lulu of Alban Berg. During this period the Company expanded its work abroad with visits to La Scala, Milan, Japan and South Korea and to the 1984 Olympic Arts Festival in Los Angeles. At home, the Midland Bank Proms were launched at Covent Garden and later the Big Screen in the Piazza. In 1987 Bernard Haitink succeeded Colin Davis as Music Director, and in 1988 Jeremy Isaacs took over from John Tooley as General Director of the Royal Opera House until his retirement in 1997. Paul Findlay became Director of The Royal Opera in 1987, succeeded by Nicholas Payne in 1993. Over the 80s and 90s, The Royal Opera enlarged its reputation with an imaginative range of repertory and award-winning new productions.

These included the British première of Berio’s Un re in ascolto, the first productions at Covent Garden of Borodin’s Prince Igor, Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen and Kát’a Kabanová, Rossini’s Guillaume Tell and Il viaggio à Reims, Mozart’s Mitridate, re di Ponto, Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust and Prokofiev’s The Fiery Angel. The Company’s commitment to contemporary opera was seen in the world première in 1991 of Harrison Birtwistle’s opera Gawain, the recording of which won the Contemporary Category of the 1996 Gramophone Awards. The 1995/96 Season saw the world première of British composer Alexander Goehr’s opera Arianna as well as the British company premiere of Hindemith’s Mathis der Maler in November and a new production of Tippett’s The Midsummer Marriage to mark the composer’s 91st year. The following season, 1996/97, The Royal Opera celebrated its Golden Jubilee with performances of Pfitzner’s Palestrina in London and New York.

The renewal of Wagner stagings, begun in 1993 with Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, continued with Der Ring des Nibelungen which was completed in autumn 1995. Three full cycles were given in Autumn 1996, all conducted by Haitink. Haitink received a Laurence Oliver Award for conducting Siegfried and Götterdämmerung in 1995 and, together with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, received the Evening Standard’s award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement in Opera, ‘for the consistently high quality of their music making throughout 1995’. Another distinctive feature of Haitink’s time as Music Director was his fostering of the Orchestra’s appearances on the concert platform both at Covent Garden and in major London concert halls, as well as encouraging the formation of the Orchestra’s own chamber ensemble.

The roster of distinguished guest conductors was also maintained across the generations, including Claudio Abbado, Colin Davis, Christoph von Dohnányí, John Eliot Gardiner, Daniele Gatti, Valéry Gergiev, Carlos Kleiber, Charles Mackerras, Simon Rattle, Gennadi Rozhdestvensky, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Georg Solti and Christian Thielemann. Edward Downes, a renowned Verdi scholar and practitioner associated with The Royal Opera since 1952, conducted the first performances at Covent Garden of Attila (1990) and Stiffelio (1993). He was the mastermind behind The Royal Opera’s seven-year Verdi Festival 1995–2001, during which it was planned to perform all 28 of Verdi’s operas. During the closure period he conducted a new production of I masnadieri in Baden-Baden, Savonlinna and Edinburgh, before returning to London in June 1999 (Sadle’rs Wells Theatre).

On 14 July 1997 a Farewell Gala given by both The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet marked the closure of the Royal Opera House for a major two-and-a-half-year redevelopment. During the first season of the closure period, 1997–8, The Royal Opera presented seven new productions, three at the Barbican Theatre, and four at the Shaftesbury Theatre. In this season alone, The Royal Opera received the following awards: for Paul Bunyan, the Evening Standard Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement and the Laurence Oliver Award for Best New Opera Production; for The Turn of the Screw, the Evening Standard Award for Outstanding Production and the South Bank Show Award; and The Royal Philharmonic Society Award for The Pilgrim’s Progress. During its second year away from Covent Garden, The Royal Opera performed new productions of The Bartered Bride and The Golden Cockerel and revived the award-winning Paul Bunyan at the newly redeveloped Sadler’s Wells theatre. In 1998 Richard Jarman was appointed Artistic Director of the Royal Opera House during the redevelopment of the Royal Opera House. He was succeeded by Elaine Padmore, who joined the company as Director in January 2000.

In December 1999 the Royal Opera House reopened with a colourful production of Falstaff, directed by Graham Vick and designed by Paul Brown. The production celebrated the extraordinary range of new technical machinery available to production teams working at Covent Garden. The first two seasons were a period for settling into the new building and the company presented a range of fine revivals, as well as some splendid new productions, including Martinů’s The Greek Passion, directed by David Pountney and co-produced with the Bregenz Festival. Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser directed a highly acclaimed new production of Rossini’s La Cenerentola, popular with critics and audiences, and Nikolaus Lehnhoff’s superlative production of Henze’s Boulevard Solitude swept the board at both the Laurence Olivier and the South Bank Awards. A new Parsifal and Trovatore graced the stage, as did Francesca Zambello’s new Queen of Spades production and a brooding double-bill of Bluebeard’s Castle and Erwartung from Willy Decker.

La rondine and La sonnambula were staged, and David McVicar made his debut production for the house to open the 2001/02 Season – a new Rigoletto, conducted by Edward Downes. A Young Artists Programme was established in 2001, creating a rich resource for the development of new talent. Antonio Pappano became the Music Director of the Royal Opera in August 2002, opening his first season with Ariadne auf Naxos, directed by Christof Loy, and also including a new production of Berg’s Wozzeck, directed by Keith Warner and designed by Stefanos Lazaridis, who subsequently became the creative team with Pappano for the new Ring introduced 2004–06, culminating in Ring cycles at the start of the 2007/08 Season. Another highlight of his first Season was the world premiere of Nicholas Maw’s Sophie’s Choice, which was conducted by Sir Simon Rattle and directed by Sir Trevor Nunn.

Another Royal Opera commission, the highly successful world premiere of The Tempest by Thomas Adès, took place in 2004, conducted by the composer, and in the 2007/08 Season, the latest Harrison Birtwistle commission was produced, with John Tomlinson in the title role of The Minotaur, conducted by Pappano. Other highlights in Pappano’s first decade with The Royal Opera included Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, directed by Richard Jones, Peter Grimes, directed by Willy Decker, Carmen, directed by Francesca Zambello, Don Carlo, directed by Nicholas Hytner, and Tosca, directed by Jonathan Kent, replacing the Royal Opera’s long-lived Zeffirelli production from 1964, which had starred many famous guest artists of the company, starting with Maria Callas and Tito Gobbi. Another Zeffirelli production, Pagliacci, starring Plácido Domingo, was conducted by Pappano in the 2002/03 Season.

Domingo was also the star of Alfano’s Cyrano de Bergerac in 2006, and took part in the 2007 Ring cycles. The extensive number of operas conducted by Antonio Pappano since his appointment have included Aida, Un ballo in maschera, Don Giovanni, Falstaff, La fanciulla del West, Fidelio, La forza del destino, L’Heure espagnole, Gianni Schicchi, La Gioconda, Madama Butterfly, Le nozze di Figaro, Otello, Werther, Les Troyens, Manon Lescaut, Anna Nicole, I due Foscari, Tristan und Isolde and Andrea Chénier. The Royal Opera continues to invite the world’s greatest artists to perform at Covent Garden. Such artists as Thomas Allen, Anna Caterina Antonacci, Piotr Beczala, Joseph Calleja, Sarah Connolly, Plácido Domingo, Gerald Finley, Juan Diego Flórez, Vittorio Grigolo, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Jonas Kaufmann, Anna Netrebko, Bryn Terfel are among the many frequent guests.

In recent years, The Royal Opera has given an average of 150 performances per season, September–July, of approximately twenty operas, nearly half of these being new productions. Since 2012 the Company has also curated the Studio Programme in the Linbury Studio Programme, presenting chamber operas and a range of experimental new commissions from up-and-coming and established composers, including Harrison Birtwistle, Luca Francesconi, Philip Glass and Salvatore Sciarrino. The Royal Opera continues to widen its audience through a range of innovative means: through cinema broadcasts, through television and radio broadcasts, through free YouTube broadcasts and through the BP Big Screens, which are broadcast for free to open spaces around the UK. London Theatre Stages Welcome to an informative guide to one of the world's leading centers of the performing arts. In addition to West-End theatre, you'll find information on the leading opera, ballet, and theatre companies that make London their home. We also provide insights into Shakespearean Theatre in the heart of the Cotswold's at Stratford-upon-Avon as well as other selected theatrical events, as they occur from time to time elsewhere in Britain. Our links will direct you to some of the world's most exciting theatrical experiences.

Frances Moorhouse, Arts & Calendar Editor Note: Links to the following venues are imbedded in their title banner Presenting the major singers of today, and the stars of tomorrow, the Rosenblatt Recitals are London's only world-class series of opera recitals. Following a successful move to the Wigmore Hall last year, we were proud to present no fewer than ten recitals in the following season. 36 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 2BP Covent Garden, London The foundation of the Royal Opera Company is a 250 year old tradition of operatic performance at its home in Covent Garden. The theatre was built in 1858. During World War II, it was used as a dance hall. But, after the war the concept of public subsidy of the arts was embraced. Thereafter, a commitment was made to establish the Royal Opera House as the permanent home of the opera and ballet companies known today as The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet. The Patron of the Royal Opera is HRH The Prince of Wales London's Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, is home to The Royal Ballet.

Under the leadership of Director Kevin O’Hare, The Royal Ballet is Britain’s largest ballet company and possesses a wide-ranging repertoire of classic ballets, heritage works from Founder Choreographer Frederick Ashton and Principal Choreographer Kenneth MacMillan. Beyond the stages of the Royal Opera House the Company and selected performances can be seen via televised and cinematic performances, outdoor Big Screen performances, international tours. The Patron of the Royal Ballet is HM The Queen One of the world's best known theatre companies, The Royal Shakespeare Company performs throughout the year in Stratford-upon-Avon, Newcastle upon Tyne and London. The Company tours extensively nationally and internationally. A link to " What's On ." If you visit Stratford-upon-Avon we encourage you to explore the new home of the RSC. There you can enjoy the stunning views of the Cotswold countryside from the Tower, discover theatrical secrets on a Theatre Tour, visit the free exhibits or eat in our Rooftop Restaurant and Bar. Stratford-upon-Avon |London The Mikado, Gilbert and Sullivan’s most popular operetta The English National Opera and The English National Ballet are located in the heart of London's West End at The London Coliseum.

Opened in 1904, the Coliseum was commissioned by the theatrical impresario Oswald Stoll and designed by the noted theatre architect Frank Matcham. It is a superb example of Edwardian architecture considered to be Matcham's masterpiece. selected Musicals • Dramas • Comedies Please note; this portion of our London Theatre page which, is customarily devoted to plays, musicals and other productions in West End Theatres is currently being revised. We will be providing a new and refreshing content directly. South Bank Royal Albert Hall, South Entrance Photo: ï¿½ Marcus Ginns Kensington Gore London -The Royal Albert Hall was built to fulfill the vision of Prince Albert (Queen Victoria's consort) of a 'Central Hall' that would be used to promote understanding and appreciation of the Arts and Sciences and would stand at the heart of the South Kensington estate, surrounded by museums and places of learning. The Hall has been in continuous use since it was opened in March 1871. Throughout the year it is venue for a wide variety of performances. Opera Holland Park London, is considered one of the most innovative and accomplished opera companies in the UK. Moreover, it is widely regarded for producing rarities, alongside perennial favourites.

OHP has much to something to offer the operagoer in a setting superbly coexistent with nature. Photo: Mike Hoban Garsington Opera debuted a glorious new home last year on the Getty family’s magnificent Wormsley Estate in Buckinghamshire . In June and July each year Garsington Opera presents productions of the highest professional quality to an intimate setting of extraordinary beauty at Wormsley, in the Chiltern Hills. The company is renowned for championing rarely performed works of artistic interest as well as presenting the core repertory that includes Mozart and Rossini. Audience members picnicking on the Glyndebourne lawns. Photo: Leigh Simpson. Glyndebourne, Lewes, East Sussex Founded in 1934 by John Christie and his opera singer wife, Audrey Mildmay, Glyndebourne is committed to presenting opera of the highest quality, commissioning new work, developing new talent and reaching new audiences. Crucially, Glyndebourne has remained financially independent since 1934. Notice An important notice concerning the use of the Luxury Traveler web site & weblog We take every precaution to ensure the accuracy of our information.

Despite this, we cannot take any responsibility what-so-ever, for errors or omissions committed by us or by those from organizations that host, produce or stage productions, exhibitions or events of any nature. We encourage and advise you to double check any and all details concerning performances or events, and to confirm curtain up times, event start times, and all other details when making arrangements, reservations or bookings. Events are subject to interruption or cancellation due to weathers condition or other acts of God. You should not use this information unless you accept, and fully agree to, the limits of our liability. Any and all matters concerning Luxury Traveler and its producer are governed and subject to, the laws of the United States of America, the State of California and the County of Riverside. Peter J. Hall, Costumer for Opera, Theater, Dies at 84 - The New York Times The New York Times Dance |Peter J. Hall, Costume Designer for Opera, Dies at 84 Search Continue reading the main story Peter J. Hall, who parlayed his wartime experience designing camouflage for the British Army into a distinguished career as a costumer for the world’s most celebrated opera and theater companies, died on May 27 in Dallas.

He was 84 and a Dallas resident. His death, after a long illness, was announced by the Dallas Opera , with which Mr. Hall had been closely associated for five decades. He leaves no immediate survivors. At his death, Mr. Hall was the company’s resident costume designer. He also designed for La Scala , Covent Garden , the Old Vic , the Vienna State Opera , the Chicago Lyric Opera and others. In New York, his work was seen at American Ballet Theater , the New York City Opera , the Metropolitan Opera and occasionally on Broadway, where his credits included “Zoot Suit” (1979). For the Met, Mr. Hall designed costumes for 13 operas between 1972 and 1994, including productions by the eminent director Franco Zeffirelli of Verdi’s “Otello,” and Puccini’s “Tosca” and “Bohème.” He was the Met’s resident costume designer from the late 1970s to the late ’80s. Throughout his career, Mr.

Hall dressed some of the world’s most luminary performers, including a string of capital-D Dames like the singers Joan Sutherland and Kiri Te Kanawa and the actresses Judi Dench and Maggie Smith. He also outfitted an array of eminent men, including Luciano Pavarotti , Plácido Domingo , John Gielgud and David Bowie . Photo Left, Joan Sutherland, Peter J. Hall, center, and Sandro Sequi. Credit James Heffernan/Metropolitan Opera Mr. Hall was widely admired for his deep knowledge of fabrics: the way they moved, the way they caught the light, the way they could be coaxed amicably around singers of some dimension. Critics routinely used adjectives like “sumptuous,” “opulent” and “exquisite” to describe his work. “His designs look like Renaissance paintings,” John Gage, the Dallas Opera’s director of production, said Tuesday. Advertisement Continue reading the main story One memorable creation was Mr.

Hall’s gown for the soprano Lella Cuberli , who was singing the title role in a Dallas Opera production of Rossini’s “Semiramide.” Vast, scarlet and encrusted with costume jewels, it weighed 65 pounds. It took two people to lift it onto Ms. Cuberli in the dressing room, and four more onstage to manage her 20-foot train. “I think we convinced her that if she had help walking about with it, it was worth wearing,” Mr. Gage said. Peter John Hall was born on Jan. 22, 1926, in Bristol, England, and studied at the West England College of Art there. In the Army during World War II he created camouflage, experimenting with various materials to build scale models of the finished products, which were meant to conceal things like airfields and gun emplacements. Photo A sketch by Mr. Hall. After the war, Mr. Hall joined the wardrobe department at Covent Garden. There he met Mr. Zeffirelli, who brought him to the Dallas Civic Opera, as the company was then known, in the early 1960s. For Dallas, Mr. Hall worked on more than 70 operas.

He sometimes designed sets there, though he remained far better known for his costumes. “We were his people, and he wanted to make sure that we looked our best,” Deb Skinner, a longtime Dallas Opera chorister, said Tuesday. Some years ago, she recalled, the company did a “Traviata” whose huge set was borrowed from another, larger opera house. On the Dallas stage, it left little room for the women’s choristers in their voluminous ball gowns. Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up Privacy Policy The proposed solution, Ms. Skinner said, was to single out some women for plainer, less space-consuming outfits. “They said to the bigger women, ‘Y’all are going on as maids,’ ” she recalled. “And Peter said, ‘There is no way that my women are going to look bad.’ ” Mr. Hall designed the most fabulous maids’ costumes, adorned with lace, pretty aprons and elegant caps, just for them.

A version of this article appears in print on June 10, 2010, on Page B17 of the New York edition with the headline: Peter J. Hall, 84, Costume Designer for Opera. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe A History of a Night at the Theatre Before 1500 Drama in Britain grew of out church services at Easter from the 10th century onwards. By the 14th century mystery cycles of plays based on the Bible were performed outside the church by members of craft guilds in cities such as York and Chester. Each play was staged on pageant wagons that processed through the streets and stopped to perform at pre-arranged sites. In some towns, however, plays were acted in a set space or ‘place’ surrounded by fixed stages or ‘scaffolds’. By the end of medieval times, many towns had specific public theatre spaces. 1500s Detail from a painting of Queen Elizabeth at the Globe, David Scott, 1840.

Museum no: S.511-1985 In the late 16th and early 17th centuries all classes of society (apart from royalty) visited the public theatres. Inn yards with enclosed courtyards were often used as performance spaces, and some were converted into permanent playhouses, such as the Red Bull. From 1576 indoor as well as purpose-built outdoor theatres started to appear in London. The most famous outdoor theatre was the Globe, built in 1599 by The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, whose resident playwright was William Shakespeare. Admission prices ranged from a penny to stand in the yard by the stage to up to sixpence for the most expensive seats. This 19th-century painting shows Elizabeth I watching a play at the Globe Theatre in around 1600. In reality, Elizabeth never visited a public playhouse. When she wished to see a play, the players would perform for her at one of her Royal residences. The more affluent members of the audience sat in the tiers of covered galleries or on the stage itself (for which they paid extra).

The area around the thrust stage, called the yard, or pit, was standing room only; and here the 'groundlings' or 'penny stinkards' could stand and watch a play for a penny. 1600s British theatres were closed by Parliament in 1642, and did not officially reopen until King Charles II returned to the throne in 1660. Actresses were introduced to the public stage for the first time, and moveable scenery arranged in perspective. Audiences went to the new indoor theatres, initially in converted tennis courts, to meet their friends, show off their clothes, flirt and catch up on the latest gossip. For a few extra pennies they could even sit on the stage. 'La Princesse d'Elide' at Versailles, Israel Silvestre, 1664 The most lavish 17th-century productions were not open to the public at all. King James I and his son Charles I both commissioned spectacular private performances called masques which involved music, dance, gorgeous costumes and extraordinary scenery and special effects. They were performed once or twice at one of the Royal palaces and were only seen by members of the court.

Such grand court entertainments were fashionable throughout Europe as an expression of princely power. The ballet 'La Princesse d'Elide' was part of a seven-day fete held in May 1664 at the Palace of Versailles. The festivities celebrated the birth of a son to Louise de La Valliere, mistress of the French king, Louis XIV. Versailles had no theatre, so temporary stages were set up around the palace and in the gardens. Here the stage has been set up in the grounds with the palace itself visible in the background. Such lavish celebrations helped impress foreign dignitaries and reinforced Louis' image as absolute ruler. Louis and his courtiers often took part and Louis' nickname, The Sun King, came from his performance as Apollo, the Greek god of the sun, in the 'Ballet de la Nuit' in 1653. In some ways Louis' whole life was a performance, played out on the stage of Versailles: people even watched him get up in a morning and go to bed. 1700s In order to gain admittance to a popular play in an 18th-century London theatre, it was necessary to arrive at least an hour before the house opened.

There were no decorous queues in those days, and no individual numbered seats, so the rush, especially for the cheap bench seats in the pit sometimes resulted in fights and serious injury. Even the more expensive sections were crammed on a good night. In 1763 Garrick banned audience members from sitting on the stage at Drury Lane and other theatres followed suit. The seating capacity of theatres grew and by 1794 the rebuilt Drury Lane held over 3000. The cheapest seats were in the topmost gallery, known as the ‘gods’, followed by the pit, closest to the stage. More wealthy members of the audience sat in boxes that encircled the pit. Before the introduction of gaslight in the 19th century, theatres were illuminated by candles and oil lamps and the auditorium was as brightly lit as the stage. This fostered an intimacy between actor and audience, but also encouraged people to chat instead of concentrating on the play. Theatrical entertainments were also a feature of fairs such as Bartholomew Fair. Lithograph depicting the riot during 'Aterxes', 1763 18th-century audiences were lively.

There are occasional reports of riots among the cheap seats (the 'footman's gallery'). Traditionally people could come for half price toward the end of the evening, to see the short after-pieces that followed the main play. In 1763 the management of Covent Garden Theatre announced on the playbills for 'Aterxes' that only full price tickets would be available. The response was an organised riot which destroyed the interior of the theatre and forced the reinstitution of the half price concession. 'Artaxerxes' was Arne's most ambitious opera in the Italian style and was first performed in 1762. The plot revolved around the complicated events following the assassination of Xerxes, King of Persia and the revenge of his son, Artaxerxes. The singers are dressed in conventional opera costume of the period. The men wear generalised 'Eastern' rather than archaeologically correct costume, while the female singer wears a version of fashionable 18th-century dress. Arne was more successful writing light operas and incidental music for Shakespeare's plays. He is best remembered as the composer of 'Rule Britannia', which comes from his opera 'Alfred'.

Box renter's fan, late 18th century The King's Theatre, Haymarket, originally called the Queen's Theatre after Queen Anne, was built by Sir John Vanburgh. It opened in 1705. Handel's oratorio 'Esther' was sung for the first time in England here. The fan shows how going to the theatre proved your social standing. 'Subscribers' were people who rented boxes for a season at the theatre and could include society types like Mrs Fitzherbert, mistress of the Prince of Wales, and other important people like the Duke of Gloucester. To prove their right to the box they held ivory discs or tokens which (for this important venue) were obtained from a bank in Pall Mall. However, things were about to change however. After the theatre was rebuilt following a fire in 1789, a less fashionable season was introduced, where boxes could be purchased by the general public, and seats in the upper tier cost a guinea per person, making them affordable to many more people.

1800s As theatres increasingly catered for popular taste in the first half of the 19th century, the support of the upper and middle classes declined, although they still attended the opera. Audiences were often noisy and not always well-behaved. If an actor was disliked, insults and/or missiles such as apple cores or bottles were thrown. By the mid 19th century music hall and circus were in favour with working class audiences. Comic and sentimental songs were popular and the audience joined in the choruses. Acrobats and aerialists provided variation to the night’s programme and music hall was the first place where the flying trapeze was seen. Pierrot shows and Punch and Judy booths entertained at the newly fashionable seaside resorts. Detail from 'Spectacle Gratis' (free show), G.Engelman, early to mid 19th century As opera was popular with the upper and middle classes, being appropriately dressed became a condition of entry. Evening dress was obligatory for those sitting in the boxes and the first gallery, known as the 'dress circle'. In the late 19th century the orchestra stalls replaced the pit and became the fashionable place to see and be seen.

Although not compulsory, it was considered bad form not to be smartly dressed when sitting in the stalls. From the mid 19th century the development of theatres in London’s West End with comfortable seating and facilities and a more refined repertory attracted the middle classes back to the wider theatre. By 1900 most theatres were lit by electricity and the auditorium was darkened during the performance. The stage was framed by the proscenium arch and separated from the auditorium by the orchestra pit. 'Spectacle Gratis' demonstrates how boisterous audiences could get whilst crammed into the seats during performances in the early 19th century. Foreign visitors to the theatre frequently commented on how noisy the audience were, both before and sometimes during performances. Drury Lane Theatre, John Bluck, 1808 As well as the disruptive elements, there were those who were paid to go and be supportive. The author's friends would applaud everything loudly whether the play were good or bad and hack journalists would be paid to write wonderful reviews, or 'puffs' as they were known. This image shows the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 1808 when it could hold 3,611 people.

These huge theatres affected the acting style as they encouraged loud voices and broad gestures that registered across the huge auditorium. Under these conditions, spectacle and farce were the entertainments that worked best. This collection of objects represents a lady's evening at the theatre at the turn of the 20th century. Theatre goer's accessories, early 20th century An Edwardian lady would be expected to wear long evening gloves and would adorn her hair with accessories such as the pearl pin that is pictured. She would carry a pair of opera glasses to look at the performers more closely and would need a fan to cool herself in the heat of the theatre. She might also be given souvenirs of the theatrical event, such as the picture holder and glass jar shown in this selection. 1900s and beyond 20th-century theatre ranged from serious plays and classics to comedies, musicals, opera, comic opera, ballet, music hall, variety and revue. Mainstream theatre was dominated by London productions which toured the provinces. West End commercialism was challenged by the repertory movement which sprang up to promote drama with social and moral issues, and also by small companies that championed alternative theatre.

Subsidised theatre as we know it today began to flourish after World War II with the founding of the Arts Council of Great Britain in 1946. This led in 1963 to the creation of the long-awaited National Theatre which opened at the Old Vic before moving to the South Bank in 1976-77. The second half of the 20th century saw much more experimentation with plays and theatre spaces. World War II changed people’s world view and many writers explored new forms and content, especially after Samuel Beckett’s 'Waiting for Godot' and John Osborne’s 'Look Back in Anger' were staged in London in 1955 and 1956 respectively. The abolition of theatre censorship in 1968 provided another catalyst for a new wave of political writing that ventilated feminist, gay, lesbian and community theatre issues. There was a move away from the traditional proscenium arch theatre and companies adopted different forms of stages such as in-the-round, thrust, traverse and site-specific performances. Small fringe theatres sprang up in converted warehouses and pubs.

Pantomime audience, Graham Brandon, 1994 Today performances spaces are still evolving and developing, while conventional theatres continue to present plays and spectacular musicals to modern audiences. This is a picture of an excited audience at 'Dick Whittington', performed at The Palace Theatre, Manchester, in 1994. It starred Ken Dodd, a comedian who is well known for 'getting an audience going'. 'Oh no he's not!' Royal Opera House | Theatre People Royal Opera House change Written on Skin Tickets Show: Are you flexible with this date? Performance: Important Information: All opera performances are surtitled. There is seating on five levels, the lowest being Orchestra Stalls, then ascending as Stalls Circle, Grand Tier, Balcony and Amphitheatre, which is the highest. You can enter the Royal Opera House from Covent Garden Piazza or from Bow Street. Year Built: Mixed Ballet: The Human Seasons, After the Rain and New Crystal Pite Venue Information Home of the Royal Opera and Royal Ballet, the Royal Opera House wows passers-by every day with its striking pillared frontage.

The interior is no less magnificent, with the deep stage and ample orchestra pit surrounded by a sandy-coloured horseshoe of seats and underneath a pale blue and gilded dome. The Floral Hall, an impressive annexed conservatory that was once Covent Garden’s flower market, is well worth a visit too. Travel Piccadilly Directions From Tube: (3 mins) The Royal Opera House is off Covent Garden piazza, which is visible from the tube station exit. There is a revolving door entrance at the piazza.

Bus Numbers: (Aldwych) RV1, 6, 11, 13, 23, 59, 68, 87, 171, 172, 188, X68 Night Bus Numbers: (Aldwych) 6, 23, 188, N11, N13, N26, N47, N68, N87, N89, N155, N171, N551 Nearest Rail Station: Bow Street, London, WC2E 9DD History The Royal Opera House has an 18th century production of The Beggar’s Opera to thank, as its profits built it. Constructed in 1732 as the ‘Theatre Royal, Covent Garden’, it got its hands on one of the most precious assets a theatre could have at that time – a theatrical patent from the King, allowing drama to be performed.

(The only other theatre with that privilege was the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.) Still, despite its dramatic leanings, composer Handel took a liking to the place and debuted many of his compositions there in the 1700s, as well as leaving it his organ in his will – too bad the artefact was destroyed in a fire in 1808. With the drama patents dropped in 1843, the theatre no longer had exclusive drama rights, and chose to rebrand itself as the ‘Royal Italian Opera’. The management took its Italian name so far that even the non-Italian operas were translated into Italian! But this didn’t last forever; it was renamed the simpler title ‘The Royal Opera House’ in the late 1890s, allowing it to expand into French and German operas. Post World War II, the Sadler’s Wells Ballet company took up residence, and along with the newly formed Covent Garden Opera company took over the space, both earning the titles ‘Royal Ballet’ and ‘Royal Opera’ over the years. And, despite its age, the Royal Opera House is one of the most attractive performance spaces in London thanks to a multi-million pound restoration in the late ‘90s.

Inside Track The building suffered two fires in its history – in 1808 and 1857. However most of what you see today was reconstructed in the 1990s. It is the home of the Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet. The Royal Opera House is also a museum for collections of magnificent operatic costumes, old documents and prints and posters. The Royal Opera roster has as many as 178 singers available at one time with 19 conductors, while the Royal Ballet has 93 performers of various abilities to choose from. The ‘piano forte’ was first heard here in 1767. When the theatre was rebuilt after its 1808 fire, it raised ticket prices to pay for the building work. This caused such uproar among theatre-goers that they caused what has become known as ‘The Old Price Riots’. The prices eventually went back down. During World War I, the space was used to store furniture; in World War II, it was a dance hall. Seat Plan Roll-over to zoom Nearest Restaurants Make the most of your trip on the town with a delicious meal before the show. Check out our top recommendations below.

All these restaurants are just a stone’s throw away from your theatre. So you can relax before enjoying a slice of world class entertainment. Simply add your theatre tickets to your basket and select the restaurant of your choice.

Question: Which British opera venue was used as a dance hall during World War II?
Answer: COVENT GARDEN