The Royal Opera House is to change its name to put ballet on an even footing with opera, in a move that is “long overdue” according to bosses at Covent Garden.
The organisation will be called Royal Ballet and Opera from the new season, which starts in September (though the building will remain the Royal Opera House). It may not seem much of a change, but it is huge for the ballet company.
Oliver Mears, head of the Royal Opera, says, “It’s long overdue. Both companies are now acknowledged to be of equal importance in the institution.”
Kevin O’Hare, head of the Royal Ballet, says, “We’re equals in this building, we always have been, so this is a moment saying that. We’re really pleased.”
He continued, “We so work really well together; we’re very different companies, but we are working the best we’ve ever worked together.”
Mears says at that historically the relationship was “at times, adversarial, fighting over the same period in the schedule, but that has changed. And it’s a good way of acknowledging that.”
So at this moment, where do we find the two companies? “It’s great that we can accompany the name change with a very high level of confidence in the programme we’re offering as it’s no secret that opera has come under the cosh in the last couple of years,” Mears says.
“It’s important for us to say the work we’re doing is really important, really exciting, really dramatic, and musically at a world-class level. There are new productions, new work and the greatest singers in the world on our stages.”
It has been a difficult few years for the sector with brutal funding cuts, notably to English National Opera, but also Glyndebourne and Welsh National Opera. The Royal Opera also worked out it has experienced a 20% cut to income in real terms.
“That’s colossal in the context of high inflation, everything is getting more expensive. The combination of the cut and inflation, financially we are more constrained than we ever were,” Mears says.
He continues that the perception of opera as ‘elitist’ and ‘irrelevant’ remains a big problem. “But I think the work we’re presenting challenges those preconceptions which are normally presented without any evidence.”
The 2024/25 season, which starts in September, certainly challenges those preconceptions. It includes Festen by Mark-Anthony Turnage, who also wrote the work Anna Nicole. “Mark really wants to connect with people. He wants opera to be as engaging as possible to modern audiences, and that’s why he’s chosen this subject matter,” Mears says.
Based on the 1998 Danish film by Thomas Vinterberg, Festen deals with challenging subjects from domestic violence and alcoholism to racism and child abuse. “There’s no getting away from the fact that these are realities, and opera is nothing if it doesn’t deal with realities, however bleak and disturbing they might be,” Mears says.
“These are big themes and opera is about big themes, big emotions. The most popular operas in the repertoire – La Traviata, La Bohème, Carmen – deal with difficult subjects. This will be an enthralling, gripping night.”
In the smaller Linbury Theatre, the Royal Opera will stage two semi-autobiographical works by Leonard Bernstein: Trouble in Tahiti and A Quiet Place. This was not, Mears jokes, following in the wake of hit film Maestro, about the composer. He had originally planned to stage them earlier, but they were delayed by the pandemic. “It is serendipitous that we’re doing them after the release of the film. Everyone knows a bit more about Bernstein now.”
There will be new stagings of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann. After Das Rheingold, director Barry Kosky returns to Wagner with the second instalment of the Ring cycle Die Walküre. Outgoing Royal Opera music director Antonio Pappano will conduct. Mears himself will direct Handel’s Semele.
Returning is La Boheme, commemorating the centenary of Puccini’s death, as well as Tosca, La Traviata, Aida and Marriage of Figaro.
At the Royal Ballet, Wayne McGregor is to follow up his hit shows Woolf Works and The Dante Project with the European premiere of MaddAddam based on the book by Margaret Atwood. “It’s big, meaty stuff, thrilling in its scale and epic,” O’Hare says. “Margaret Atwood has been involved – she gave Wayne carte blanche. She loves dance. She thinks it can get to the heart of her work.”
Choreographers returning to the Royal Ballet include Crystal Pite, with The Statement and Light of Passage, and Kyle Abraham with The Weathering. Pam Tanowitz is creating a new work as is Joseph Toonga.
The season opens with Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, while there will also be a showcase of Christopher Wheeldon’s work in a mixed programme called Ballet to Broadway. The Christmas show will not be The Nutcracker but Cinderella instead.
“To give audiences something else,” O’Hare says, “maybe they can see two things: The Nutcracker somewhere else and then see us to Cinderella. It’s nice to have choice.”
Mears adds, “There’s a high level of trust in what both companies do. In the past few years there’s been a hunger and an appetite for new work. Contrary to what’s been written recently that’s from older audiences, who want to see something new. Conversely, it’s the Carmens, Bohèmes, Toscas that appeal to new audiences.”
I ask how the organisation has changed in recent years. “The whole organisation has become a lot more approachable since I started in 2017,” Mears says. “Our audiences have got significantly younger since Covid. We’ve done a lot of work in welcoming people, making the work more engaging. And with the Linbury we can take more risks. This place has been transformed over the past decade.”
For more information visit roh.org.uk
