London Opera & Dance Opera In London Royal Opera HouseThe Royal Opera House
The imposing Royal Opera House, with its grand classical portico fronting Bow Street, is actually the third theatre built on the Covent Garden site. Both the previous theatres were destroyed by fire, an unfortunate but common incident, in the era before electricity.
Actor-manager John Rich built the first Theatre Royal, Covent Garden with the fortune he had made from the huge success of The Beggar’s Opera. At that time, under the terms of a Royal Patent, Covent Garden was only one of two theatres permitted to perform drama in the capital. The other patent theatre was the nearby Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and a keen rivalry soon developed between them.
The first important musical works to be heard at the theatre were by Handel, who, from 1735 until his death in 1759, had close links with Covent Garden both as composer and organist. Extensive rebuilding work took place in 1787 and 1792, but in 1808 the theatre was completely destroyed by fire with the loss of twenty-three fireman as the building collapsed.
Work on a new theatre began immediately to designs by Robert Smirke. The Prince of Wales laid the foundation stone on the last day of 1808 and the theatre opened just over eight months later with a performance of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
The Royal Opera House
On 5 March 1856 disaster struck again: for the second time the theatre was completely destroyed by fire. Work on the third and present theatre eventually started in 1857 and the new building opened in 1858 with a performance of Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots. Barry designed the striking glass and iron Floral
Hall, intended as a flower market but also hosting the occasional ball.In 1892, with the repertoire broadening, the theatre was renamed the Royal Opera House. Winter and summer seasons of opera and ballet were issued and between seasons the theatre was either closed or used for film shows, dancing, cabaret and lectures. During World War I the theatre became a furniture repository and during the Second World War a Mecca Dance Hall.
That’s how it might have remained if the music publishers Boosey and Hawkes hadn’t acquired the lease.
The Opera House reopened on 20 February 1946 with a gala performance of The Sleeping Beauty with Margot Fonteyn as Aurora.
Redevelopment
After the creation of the National Lottery, the Royal Opera House was awarded £58.5m towards re-building costs. Work started in 1996 with a farewell gala taking place in the ‘old’ house in July 1997. Three years later, at total cost of £178m, the theatre had been utterly transformed. Above all, the creation of new spaces has integrated the theatre more fully into its surrounding environment and made visiting a far more fulfilling experience.
Although the Royal Opera House received a large award from the Lottery, this was not without controversy. Many felt that an elitist artform, outside the spending range of the majority of families in the UK, should not be receiving subsidies. Current prices are £150-350 per person for Operas/Ballets, depending on performance, day and location, however many of the better seats are far higher. Highly recommended, if your budget can stretch to it.
67 'Day Seats’ can be acquired by queuing at the box office from 10am - usually at a price of £15-50. One per head in the queue is the rule - so if two of you are going, two of you must queue (it prevents touting). Also a number of restricted-view seats [in the slips, etc.] are available at £3-£30, but these sell out quickly, especially since they become available online first. You might not see all the stage, but the sound is unaffected.
I first went here on one of these cheap tickets in the slips, as an impoverished student in the 1980s. Dressed in my finest interview suit and Kate in a stylish black dress, we didn't look so out of place. Though on checking the prices, I did return empty handed from the Crush Bar. If your budget can't meet the cost of regular tickets (which is most people), try to get your hands on one of those day tickets - or buy restricted view seats online: Tickets online
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, WC2E 9DD.
Covent Garden Tube.
Call: 020 7304 4000
