Triple Bill Special Ticket Offer

[Helene]

I just received an email from the Royal Ballet. They have a special ticket offer through 20 November for a triple bill including Wheeldon's Polyphonia, Balanchine's The Four Temperaments, and Kylian's Sinfonetta:

"When you book a top-price seat for the evening performances on 18, 21 or 25 November you will pay £39.60 (usual price £66), and for the matinee performance on 15 November you will pay £31.20 (usual price £52).When booking for this special offer, choose Orchestra Stalls, Stalls Circle or Grand Tier and enter your preferred number of seats next to the 'email offer' concession."

Here is the link to the Royal Ballet ticket site in the email. I just checked the website. They may have assigned a certain number of seats to "email" offer, because I didn't see any available in Orchestra Stalls for the 18 November performance. (If available, they are displayed on a separate line with the special price.) To see availability after selecting a specific performance of "Polyphonia Triple Bill," click on the picture of the section on the left side of the screen.

I hope someone will see this, take advantage of the offer, and post about the performance(s). I'm jealous that I won't be able to see this program

[Jane Simpson]

Though I too hope some people who weren't planning to go will be persuaded by this offer, I'm sorry it's necessary - it's a shame that such an interesting bill apparently doesn't sell. I suppose none of the titles is familiar to the general audience. I'm really looking forward to it!

[Alexandra]

At first, I was surprised to read Helene's post, but then, on thinking about it, I realized that this is a ballet fan's program -- the kind that used to be a mainstay of the repertory (here and elsewhere). Jane, you may well have a different perception, but I remember hearing from friends about 15 years ago, when ticket prices began to rise, of complaints that the repertory was beginning to tilt substantially to the "Swan Lake"-"Romeo/Manon" axis and the tickets were marketed to businesses -- take a client to the ballet -- and tourists, and that the "regulars" were put off by both the repertory and the prices. If that's true, then this may be the result. Once you lose an audience, it's hard to get it back.

[Jane Simpson]

Yes - to quite a large extent I think the RB is reaping what is has sown.

[danciegirlmaria]

I have to admit, as a regular opera house go-er- that i tend to get standing tickets for triple bills such as the one above because i know its unlikely to sell out and just sneek into some seats as the lights go down! But the ushers have actually cottoned on to this clever plot and now look at the cost of our ticket and send us to an 'appropiate' seating area!