Theodora - ROH

[Belgrove]

Theodora returns to Covent Garden at the end of January for the first time since 1750. Some purists can be snooty about oratorios being presented as dramas, but Glyndebourne’s 1990’s contemporary production graphically demonstrated that there is another way to stage such works. Theodora and Didymus’ final duet, strapped to gurneys whilst lethal injections were administered, seared - people left the auditorium weeping. And Lorraine Hunt Lieberson’s sublime and deeply affecting portrayal of Irene is one of the finest performances I’ve seen - can Joyce DiDonato come anywhere close to matching it? Katie Mitchell directs, Harry Bicket (who played continuo at Glyndebourne) conducts. Not sure if R3 is planning a broadcast, but some performances are being filmed. Plenty of tickets available it seems.
Anyone going?

[Barbirollians]

A very hard act to follow .

[LHC]

I'm going to see it in February.

I have just received the following warning from the Opera House, so we will know what to expect:

We're looking forward to sharing this ground-breaking new take on a Handel classic, directed by the ever-radical Katie Mitchell, which views the story through the lens of contemporary religious terrorism, and gives a modern, feminist context to the work.

As we approach the final stages of the rehearsal process, we feel we should let you know that we are now recommending the production to audiences over the age of 16, owing to its explicit presentation of scenes of sexual violence, harassment and exploitation and its evocation of themes of terrorism.

I can't say I'm surprised, as this seems broadly in line with her usual preoccupations.

[Prommer]

I'm going to see it in February.

I have just received the following warning from the Opera House, so we will know what to expect:

We're looking forward to sharing this ground-breaking new take on a Handel classic, directed by the ever-radical Katie Mitchell, which views the story through the lens of contemporary religious terrorism, and gives a modern, feminist context to the work.

As we approach the final stages of the rehearsal process, we feel we should let you know that we are now recommending the production to audiences over the age of 16, owing to its explicit presentation of scenes of sexual violence, harassment and exploitation and its evocation of themes of terrorism.

I can't say I'm surprised, as this seems broadly in line with her usual preoccupations.

Another William Tell in the offing, so they are taking evasive action now...?

[Ein Heldenleben]

Another William Tell in the offing, so they are taking evasive action now...?

The top prices for this are £245. Very unusual to charge that much for Handel…yet it seems to be selling …

[Barbirollians]

Judging by di Donato's stupendous album " In Love and War" if anyone can follow LHL in this work it is her.

[Rolmill]

Judging by di Donato's stupendous album " In Love and War" if anyone can follow LHL in this work it is her.

Do you mean 'In War and Peace'? If so, I agree that it contains some superb Handel singing.

[Barbirollians]

Yes that’s the one.

[duncan]

Saw Saturday's performance. A thoroughly enjoyable night out. The singing and playing were tremendous, most notably JDD and JJO, but there were no weak links.

The modern dress, alternative reality settling was plausible - it is a story of an oppressed minority and women forced into sex work - and mostly worked well to tell the tale. These are sadly contemporary themes. I'm positively disposed towards interventionist directors in Handel and this clearly won't be to everyone's taste. The trigger warnings for sex and violence and suitable for over 16s only seemed completely unnecessary, I can think of numerous opera productions that are far more graphic. The large cast, many actors as well as the singers, are a constant source of visual interest. Very occasionally I wished they'd stop fussing around and let the music speak on it's own. I was very impressed by the pole dancing (I'm not a connoisseur of the form) from both the professionals and the amateur!

The final act didn't work quite as well dramatically, with a lot of people pointing guns at each other for what felt like a long time. The twist in the ending didn't completely ring true either and I can think of alternatives which would retain the feminist spirit of the production that would be closer to the original story.

The new opera glasses - mid price Nikon 8x21s not Swarowski alas - had their first indoor test and acquitted themselves well. There was a lot going on on stage that could have been easy to miss from the standing places at back of the stalls circle.

There was a film crew so hopefully some kind of visual recording will be made available.

[MickyD]

The top prices for this are £245. Very unusual to charge that much for Handel…yet it seems to be selling …

I know it's been a long time since I went to the opera in London, but I am truly staggered by that ticket price!

[Mandryka]

I know it's been a long time since I went to the opera in London, but I am truly staggered by that ticket price!

I'm sure Harry Enfield made a Loadsamoney sketch where he want to Covent Garden -- I can't find it though. If he didn't, he should have done.

What shocked me most about the ticket prices for Theodora was the cost of a seat in the amphi. I used to queue for one for £10. Those days are over for me -- if I go at all now I want to see the spit and smell the grease paint from the front of the dress circle.

[duncan]

What shocked me most about the ticket prices for Theodora was the cost of a seat in the amphi. I used to queue for one for £10. Those days are over for me -- if I go at all now I want to see the spit and smell the grease paint from the front of the dress circle.

One of the earliest ROH tickets I still have is for Simon Boccanegra in 1997. I stood at the back of the Stalls Circle for £15. The Bank of England inflation calculator suggests this is the equivalent to £29.05 in 2021. The same place for Theodora cost £19 which seems like a pretty good deal. I don't know if the same applies to decent seat prices, never could afford them.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I know it's been a long time since I went to the opera in London, but I am truly staggered by that ticket price!

Yes me too . Presumably it’s the star casting…

[Ein Heldenleben]

One of the earliest ROH tickets I still have is for Simon Boccanegra in 1997. I stood at the back of the Stalls Circle for £15. The Bank of England inflation calculator suggests this is the equivalent to £29.05 in 2021. The same place for Theodora cost £19 which seems like a pretty good deal. I don't know if the same applies to decent seat prices, never could afford them.

In 1971 I sat in the stalls for Tristan for £5 . According to the B of E that’s £75 now . The same seat would be about £150 - side stalls - maybe more.

[LHC]

In 1971 I sat in the stalls for Tristan for £5 . According to the B of E that’s £75 now . The same seat would be about £150 - side stalls - maybe more.

Stalls seats for Lohengrin later this year range from £161 to £240.