Assembly Festival has today (Wednesday 03 May) announced a further 80 shows for its Fringe 2023 programme. This year, the festival is extending its wings across Edinburgh, beyond its festival hubs at Assembly George Square and Assembly Rooms to two new venues, with a co-curated programme at Assembly @ Dance Base and a residency at Murrayfield Ice Rink.
Recirquel Cirque Danse, the company behind 2019’s critically acclaimed My Land, will take over the art deco inspired arena at Murrayfield Ice Rink with an immersive circus experience IMA, directed by Bence Vagi, 04 – 27 August.
In an installation space inspired by the starry sky, audiences will participate in a unique ritual guided by a 21st-century shaman, and adventure into the unknown territories of the human mind.
IMA | Various Times | 04-27 Aug | Assembly at Murrayfield Ice Rink
Assembly’s family programme includes more circus, with Chevalier – Hobbyhorse Circus, an irresistibly charming homage to circus horses and the silent movie era; and Cartoooon!! That mixes Japanese Manga animation with hilarious antics and unicycling for a live performance that jumps out from the cartoon world.
The festivals youngest audiences will be entertained as Monski Mouse and friends return with the renowned Monski Mouse’s Baby Cabaret and Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall. There’s an enchanting beginners guide to economics with Roger McGough’s Money-Go-Round; and the Reeflings go an under-the-sea adventure in DIVE, an immersive multi-sensory experience for children with SEN and PMLD.
In Cabaret, Broadway Diva brings the best West End Wonders, Broadway Belters, and Earworms that you know and love to Assembly’s Drawing Room. The Māui legend is retold with rhinestones and glitter in Rutene Spooner’s Thoroughly Modern Māui; Scotland’s premier quiz company bring and interactive experience where anyone can win with Goose’s Quizzes Elimination Game; and there’s outrageous drag, burlesque and more with Ginava’s Messy Friends.
Assembly is proud to welcome Kyiv City Ballet for their first visit to Edinburgh at the festival’s flagship venue, Assembly Hall. A Tribute to Peace is a programme of excerpts from some of the company’s favourite pieces, showcasing the resilience of these exceptional dancers and people of Ukraine. A portion of the proceeds from every performance will be donated to charities supporting Ukraine.
Kyiv City Ballet | 19:00 | 03-28 Aug | Main Hall
Also at Assembly Hall, the festival launches with a celebration of the 2023 programme and highlights from some of the best and biggest productions in the Assembly Gala (Wed 03 Aug); and inspired by a tale as old as time, Matador is a fiery fusion of burlesque, dance and jaw-dropping circus acts, an emotionally charged journey through love and its many faces.
Dance takes centre stage at Assembly Festival in 2023, with a co-curated programme at Assembly @ Dance Base. Plus, a high-energy fusion of commercial dance intertwining ballet and street with contemporary and breakdance in Beats on Pointe; powerful full-femme, full-bodied dance in Angel Monster; blending the instinctive and spontaneous quality of live performance with a view through the eye of the camera in Shoot the Cameraman; and conjuring a realm somewhere between online/offline, For you: wicked draws on experiences in camming, life modelling, stripping and formal dance training.
Once again comedy has a strong presence in Assembly’s programme, and there’s plenty of laughs to be had with stand-up from Gail Porter: Hung, Drawn and Portered; Jo Griffin: The Power Hour (Perfect, The Paddock); Larry Owens Live (ABC, HBO, Netflix); Mad Ron: Crime School as played by Steve Lee; Fringe favourite Reuben Kaye: The Butch is Back; Robin Tran: Don’t Look at Me (Historical Roasts, Straight Up Stand Up); Sophia Cleary: It Gets Worse (MOMMY, SmileKnife); Urooj Ashfaq: Oh No! (Queens of Comedy); and comedy line-ups at Liars & Clowns: A Late Night Comedy Show and Aboriginal Comedy AllStars.
Exploring the fringes of the genre, there’s musical comedy with 30 Minute Musicals: Top Gun and Comedians’ DJ Battles; improv in Aaaand Now For Something Completely Improvised; the alternative and the absurd in drag king show How to Flirt: The TED XXX Talk, The Poor Rich, and The Power of Yep; comedy sketches from BriTANicK: Work In Progress; storytelling in 5 Mistakes That Changed History and Skye Scraper: The Life and Times of a Drag Queen Accountant; drag, comedy and cabaret collide in I consent; and a performance performed simultaneously on stage and on the big screen in The Umbilical Brothers: The Distraction.
From the big screen to the stage comes the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s production of Big Fish, based on the book by Daniel Wallace and Tim Burton’s 2003 film; and Edges, a contemporary song-cycle from the creators of The Greatest Showman and La La Land.
There’s more music as the smash-hit gig theatre What Girls Are Made Of returns for its final Scottish dates; Jon Culshaw and Erin Armstrong star in Lena; a young Jehovah’s Witness comes to terms with his sexuality in Horizon Showcase: Birthmarked; a musical feast of storytelling in Of Moonset and the Milky Way; and The Beatbox Collective ask What’s Your Sound?
What Girls Are Made Of | 13:00 | 04-27 Aug | Music Hall
There’s something for everyone in Assembly’s theatre programme – from new takes on the classics with The HandelBards cycle-powered version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, to a breadth of new writing – kitchen-sink drama meets post-apocalyptic horror in The Hunger; a life drawing class plunges into chaos in Artist/Muse; A young boxer tells us his story, from his rise to fame to tragic fall from grace in Shadow Boxing; The Stronger examines the role and position of women in society; and four musicians seal themselves in an underground studio In Everglade Studio.
The realms of science-fiction are explored with a drama about feminism, climate change, and David Bowie in ALONE; an uncanny adventure with friendly cryptids in Hive; and Ray Bradbury’s Tomorrow’s Child is turned into an immersive blindfolded experience for the audio equivalent of a five-star dinner.
Queer stories are shared with DARLING BOY, a hilarious and heart-breaking ode to growing up; a lip-sync battle like you’ve never seen before in Split Lip, a story of trauma and forgiveness; and a show about a queer, autistic, latinx caterpillar, on the edge of Super-trans-metamorphosis in Dre Spisto: El Dizzy Beast.
There’s theatrical character-comedy in Kravitz, Cohen, Bernstein and Me and GUSH; politics and clowns go hand in hand with Finnish clown duo Mike and Zin in Don Quixote; from the frontline of a failed Presidential campaign, Manifest Destiny’s Child is a hilarious, true account of how America woke up in Trumplandia; while the Westminster circus is explored in Dom – The Play. Breaking the Castle is a powerful comedy-drama exploring the correlation between mental health and addiction; and an audacious hell’s-eye view of The Passion of Christ in the darkly comic The Devil’s Passion.
The life of the artist is under the spotlight in an uncompromising portrait of an undisputed genius and visionary artist in Picasso: Le Monstre Sacré; André & Dorine follows a pair of elderly artists in a deeply emotional non-verbal work; and a young, unknown writer becomes a legendary playwright in Jacob Storms’ Tennessee Rising: The Dawn of Tennessee Williams.
André & Dorine | 15:15 | 07-20 Aug | Ballroom
Assembly kicks off the festival season on Friday 14 July with the opening of its festival hub Assembly George Sqaure Gardens, where it plays host to the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival through to Sunday 23 July. The city’s largest free-to-enter annual celebration of Scotland’s larder returns Friday 21 – Sunday 30 July with the Edinburgh Food Festival; before Assembly Festival’s Fringe programmes begins on Wednesday 02 August.
Assembly Festival is one of Edinburgh’s largest and the Fringe’s longest running multi-venue operators. It’s 2023 Fringe programme will take place across Edinburgh, with festival hubs at Assembly Rooms, Assembly Hall, Assembly George Square Studios and Gardens, Assembly Roxy, Assembly Checkpoint, as well as venues at Assembly @ Dance Base and Assembly at Murrayfield Ice Rink.
Tickets for Assembly Festival shows are available now from the Assembly Festival Box Office www.assemblyfestival.com.
The excitement was is in the air at Strachan House Care Home in Edinburgh this week as residents and staff notch it up a gear to celebrate the coronation of our king in a right royal way.
Throughout the week on the lead up to the big day, Strachan House has a week full of royal themed activities from baking up red, white and blue cakes to intergenerational fun within their local community with Cargilfield Nursery and Blackhall Primary.
“The week will certainly be one we remember” said Mandy, Head of Activities.
Paul Dow chef at Strachan House said: “Baking up an array of cuisine will be great fun and certainly ensure it will be fit for a king! It has been a whole team effort ensuring we are ready for the King’s Coronation on May 6”.
Staff and residents at the home put their heads together and came up with a week-long plan of royal activities for their residents. Over the bank holiday weekend the home will hold afternoon tea whilst screening the Coronation live.
On Sunday 7th May at 2pm they are hosting The Big Picnic in their wonderful gardens and will play host to the entire Blackhall community as they open their home to friend’s family and staff.
With live music from Diane Fields a BGT contestant as well as the local councillor, Christine Jardine, it is set to be an outstanding day for everyone who plans to attend.
Armed with picnic baskets and rugs resident, families, staff and local visitors are invited to join us for an afternoon sharing in the wonderful atmosphere.
All you need to do is bring your picnic and a rug and enjoy a afternoon amongst friends.
Gordon Philp, General Manager at Strachan House said: “We are looking forward to a brilliant time celebrating the Coronation, it is such a momentous occasion. Our staff and residents love the Royals and so they are all so excited about the upcoming week.
“It has been a real collaborative process – thinking about how we want to celebrate, from planning our activities, decorating the home and creating an event for our whole community to join in”.
David Lesueur, resident at Strachan House said: “I can just about remember the Queen’s Coronation, I was very small but I remember the street party we had then and this will be just as much fun.
“We all want to pay our respects to the new King and create new memories, it is such an important occasion to mark.”
Our varied life enrichment programme keeps residents active, and provides a daily choice of engaging physical, mental and spiritual activities tailored to residents’ interests and abilities.
Strachan House is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering high-quality care across its care homes and hospitals. Strachan House provides nursing care, residential care, respite care.
Looking to create a blooming patio this National Gardening Week (1-7 May 2023)? Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre, is hosting a free Grow How session in its Edinburgh store with a live demonstration on how to design your perfect patio with stylish pots and plants.
Taking place on Saturday 6th May at 10:30am, this interactive workshop is suitable for all levels of gardeners, from beginners who dream of growing and nurturing beautiful plants to brighten up their patios, to experts searching for new ways to enhance their outside space.
Dobbies’ gardening experts will demonstrate how to select the right pots and plants, with an emphasis on striking the perfect balance of colour and style. Key plants that will be a focus as part of the event will include Hydrangea and Senetti, and the team will advise on the correct tools, peat-free compost and watering for a successful season.
Marcus Eyles, Dobbies’ Horticultural Director, said: “We are constantly searching for ways to inspire people in Edinburgh to get involved in gardening.
“Growing plants for your patio is not only good for the environment and your mental health, but it is also a fun way to get the whole family involved in a project.
“You could even be inspired by the Coronation over this special weekend. National Gardening Week this year has a focus on ‘creating a Coronation container’. If you’re looking to create a regal display, consider plants in deep shades of blue, purple and magenta for a striking look reminiscent of King Charles III’s royal gardens. Pansy and Viola plants are great for this as they work well in containers and will give your pots a wonderful fresh look.
“We are really looking forward to this workshop and hope we inspire some beautiful new patio plants.”
‘The Emergency Care system is not functioning as it should’, RCEM says as Emergency Department performance drops
Responding to the latest Emergency Department performance figures for Scotland for March 2023 Dr John-Paul Loughrey, Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland, said: “The data show another drop in performance. This means more patients facing longer waits, more delays to care and more harm.
“We cannot continue to see this occur, we need to be seeing improvements in performance and a reduction in delays to care. This is a signal that the current interventions and actions are not having the time critical impact that we need to be seeing.
“The Scottish Government needs to understand that hesitancy to take the necessary actions will impact on the safety of patients and their care. Emergency care is not functioning as it should, no patient should face a 12-hour wait in an Emergency Department.
“We know what needs to be done: ensuring social care is responsive and able to support the timely discharge of patients; expanding acute bed capacity across Scotland; retaining existing staff while recruiting more staff into Emergency Medicine. These are the solutions laid out in our campaign Five Priorities for UK Governments for #ResuscitatingEmergencyCare.
“We would welcome an opportunity to meet the new Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Michael Matheson MSP, to put forward these solutions and the means to tackle the crisis in Emergency Care. We cannot consider this to be winter pressure anymore; this is year-round, and it continues to cause harm. We must do better for patients and staff, there is no time to delay.”
99% of households initially eligible through DWP will have been directly paid £301 by the government by end of today (3 May 2023)
The payments are the first of 3 new Cost of Living Payments worth up to £900 in 2023/24 for those eligible – though some people will receive up to £1,350.
Those remaining will continue to be paid between now and 17 May by DWP, with no need to contact anyone.
More than 7 million households across the UK will have been paid a £301 Cost of Living Payment by the end of today (3 May 2023).
This means the vast majority of eligible households have received the support in just 8 days of the rollout starting, with the small number of payments outstanding to be made by 17 May.
The payment is the first of 3 Cost of Living Payments being made this year and the next, illustrating the government’s commitment to supporting vulnerable families with financial pressures. This comes alongside work to deliver on the government’s 5 priorities, including halving inflation and growing the economy, which will ultimately help put more money in people’s bank accounts at the end of the month.
Mel Stride, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said: “Paying more than 7 million households £301 in a little over a week underlines our commitment to ensure those on the lowest income are protected from the worst of rising prices and give them peace of mind.
“With further payments due to be made later this year and in 2024, we will continue to provide support to those who need it most while we tackle inflation and grow the economy.”
Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor of the Exchequer, added: “We know the impact that rising prices are having on families, which is why we are providing significant support to millions through these direct cash payments. This is alongside other support, including holding down energy bills, uplifting benefits and the State Pension by 10%, and increasing the National Living Wage by a record amount.
“The single best way to ease cost of living pressures is to bear down on inflation. We are on track to halve it this year, laying the foundation for the long-term growth needed to improve everyone’s living standards.”
The Cost of Living Payments, spread across 2023/24, are worth up to £900 for those on means-tested benefits. The next payment for those on means-tested benefits is due in the autumn, with the third instalment due next spring.
These are accompanied by a £150 payment for people on eligible disability benefits this summer, and a £300 payment to top up Winter Fuel Payments for pensioners at the end of 2023 – meaning some will receive up to £1,350.
This makes up part of the government’s significant cost of living support – now worth an average of £3,300 per household over this year and last.
People will be eligible for the £301 Cost of Living Payment if they have been entitled to a payment for one of 7 benefits between 26 January and 25 February 2023. The eligible benefits are:
Universal Credit
Pension Credit
Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Income Support
Working Tax Credit
Child Tax Credit
The DWP encourages anyone who thinks they may be eligible for a qualifying benefit to use a benefits calculator to check their entitlement. In particular, low-income pensioners should check their eligibility for Pension Credit, as they may still be able to receive the £301 Cost of Living Payment, and subsequent payments, if they make a successful backdated application by 19 May 2023.
The small number of payments outstanding will continue to be made between now and 17 May, and anyone eligible still waiting for a payment does not need to contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) before then.
After this date, if someone thinks they may be missing a payment they are entitled to, a form can be filled out on the GOV.UK website to make a claim.
One million eligible families, receiving tax credits only, will get their £301 Cost of Living Payment from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) between Tuesday 2 and Tuesday 9 May with the banking reference ‘HMRC COLS’.
This payment comes on top of extensive support given to low-income households in 2022, including up to £1,100 in Cost of Living Payments. The Household Support Fund, worth over £2 billion across its lifetime, continues to offer support to people across England, and those in need should contact their local council to see what support is available in their area.
Tackling poverty and inequality is the biggest challenge facing Scotland, First Minister Humza Yousaf will say at today’s anti-poverty summit.
Led by the First Minister, the summit offers a vital opportunity for the Scottish Government to listen to, and work with key partners, campaigners, cross-party representatives and those with direct experience of poverty, to help inform Scotland’s drive to tackle poverty and inequality.
Opening the anti-poverty summit, the First Minister is expected to say: “The Scottish Government recognises the cost of living crisis is putting a huge strain on households and no-one should have to make the choice between heating, eating or turning the lights on.
“Tackling poverty and inequality is the single biggest challenge facing Scotland and requires continued, urgent and sustained action.
“Today’s anti-poverty summit is an opportunity to get round the table with campaigners, businesses, the third sector, local government, representatives from Holyrood’s main political parties and, crucially, those with direct experience of poverty, to hear their views and insights.
“This is the collaborative approach that people across Scotland want to see their First Minister and political leaders take – to secure real action on the biggest issues facing our country.
“We have a strong foundation to build on, with almost £3 billion allocated this year to support policies which tackle poverty and protect people as far as possible during the cost of living crisis, and we have announced details this week of how tens of thousands of households will be supported as a result of the Fuel Insecurity Fund being tripled.
“But, as we discuss what more can be done, nothing will be off the table and I look forward to hearing all contributions at the summit, which I hope will drive new momentum in the fight against poverty in Scotland.”
The Royal Opera House has announced its 2023/24 Season, unveiling a bold programme of thrilling new work, UK premieres and much-loved revivals, alongside the biggest national learning programme in our history, exciting new regional partnerships, and a host of daytime events, behind the scenes tours, exhibitions and artistic Insights at our home in the heart of Covent Garden.
The Royal Ballet Season
The Royal Ballet presents a tapestry of works that celebrate the Company’s rich heritage and celebrated house choreographers, and brings creativity into spaces across the Royal Opera House with a Festival of New Choreography. The Season features revivals from Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan alongside contemporary classics by Wayne McGregor, Christopher Wheeldon and Cathy Marston.
The Company’s illustrious legacy from Founder Choreographer Frederick Ashton and Principal Choreographer Kenneth MacMillan is marked in a number of productions. Ashton’s boundless invention is displayed in two mixed programmes, with The Dream and his virtuosic Rhapsody. One of these programmes also features Les Rendezvous while the other includes Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan, Hamlet and Ophelia, and a guest performance by The Sarasota Ballet of The Walk to the Paradise Garden.
The Sarasota Ballet will also demonstrate the genius of Ashton in the Linbury Theatre with a vibrant array of his creative output. The Royal Ballet and The Sarasota Ballet’s Ashton performances during the Season mark the opening of ASHTON WORLDWIDE, the Frederick Ashton Foundation’s five-year international festival conceived to celebrate the work and legacy of Frederick Ashton. Further information on the festival will be announced by the Foundation in due course.
Kenneth MacMillan’s dramatic flair is celebrated with the romantic tragedy Manon, which this Season celebrates its 50th birthday, and a mixed programme – Requiem, Danses Concertantes and Different Drummer – plus performances and a film premiere by Yorke Dance Project, illustrating the choreographer’s exceptional artistic development across the decades.
In other revivals, Carlos Acosta’s vibrant production of Don Quixote opens the Season for The Royal Ballet. This celebrated production, which premiered in 2013, is the perfect showcase for a Company dancing at its peak. The enduringly popular 19th-century classics The Nutcracker and Swan Lake will also feature in the Season.
Royal Ballet Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor’s The Dante Project returns following its critically-acclaimed world premiere in 2021. Inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy, the afterlife is brought into blazing life through the poetic vision of McGregor and his creative team, including pioneering composer Thomas Adès and artist Tacita Dean.
Artistic Associate of The Royal Ballet Christopher Wheeldon’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s late romance The Winter’s Tale celebrates its 10th anniversary. With striking designs by Bob Crowley and atmospheric music by Joby Talbot, The Winter’s Tale is widely considered a modern ballet classic.
Two award-winning works, Cathy Marston’s The Cellist, which takes its inspiration from the life and music of Jacqueline du Pré, and Valentino Zucchetti’s breezy Anemoi, receive their first revivals in a mixed programme of powerful musical heft.
The Festival of New Choreography champions new and diverse choreographic voices through the many spaces of our iconic Covent Garden home. A collection of new work will be seen on the Main Stage, and also included is an immersive new work for The Royal Ballet by Robert Binet presented in the Linbury Theatre and co-produced by the National Ballet of Canada.
The Royal Ballet presents the world premiere of a new production in the Linbury Theatre adapted from the play Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons by Sam Steiner. The Limit combines spoken word and dance with choreography by Royal Ballet Principal Character Artist Kristen McNally and direction by Ed Madden and features Royal Ballet Principals Francesca Hayward and Alexander Campbell in one of the casts. The Limit is set to a newly commissioned score by Isobel Waller-Bridge, who composed the score for the BBC series Fleabag as well as film scores for Vita and Virginia (2018) and Emma (2020).
We look to the future with our continued development of emerging creative and performing talent with Draft Works, International Draft Works and the Next Generation Festival. The Royal Ballet continues its long-standing commitment to fostering dance partnerships, with Northern Ballet, Fallen Angels Dance Theatre, Ballet Black and Sydney Dance Company in the Linbury Theatre.
Fallen Angels Dance Theatre make their Linbury Theatre debut. Led by Artistic Director Paul Bayes Kitcher, former Birmingham Royal Ballet soloist, the award-winning company supports those recovering from addiction and mental health adversity through dance, performance and creativity. This work marks the first collaboration between Fallen Angels and New Note Orchestra, a Brighton-based collective of 18 musicians in recovery.
Northern Ballet return to the Linbury Theatre with a programme of new contemporary ballet, including the premiere of a new work by Royal Ballet Soloist Benjamin Ella and a work by New York City Ballet Principal Tiler Peck.
INTERNATIONAL DRAFT WORKS_LINBURY THEATRE_ROH,
Canto De Ossanha_choreography; Joshua Junker, The Royal Ballet,
Ballet Black present a double bill featuring Will Tuckett’s Then or Now and Mthuthuzeli November’s Nina: By Whatever Means, a tribute to Nina Simone. Yorke Dance presents a new programme including work by Robert Cohan, Martha Graham and Kenneth MacMillan, and Sydney Dance Company make their Linbury Theatre debut.
On Wednesday 1 November, World Ballet Day, a much-loved global celebration that brings together over 50 of the world’s leading ballet and dance companies, celebrates its tenth anniversary. Over the course of 24 hours, rehearsals, discussions and classes are streamed for free across six continents, offering unique behind-the-scenes glimpses of ballet’s biggest stars and exciting new performers.
Director of The Royal Ballet, Kevin O’Hare, said: “As we approach next Season, we are thrilled to showcase the extraordinary artistry and skill of our brilliant dancers and orchestral performers in a fantastic range of heritage and award-winning contemporary classics.
“We also look forward to the creative energy that the Festival of New Choreography will bring to the whole of the Royal Opera House, and to continuing to spread the love of ballet through our far-reaching global and UK-wide partnerships. We can’t wait to welcome back existing audiences and to connect with those new to the art form.”
The Royal Opera Season
The Royal Opera opens its Season with two landmark works on both of our stages. On the Main Stage, Antonio Pappano partners with Barrie Kosky for the first time to conduct a bold new imagining of Wagner’s first chapter of the Ring cycle, Das Rheingold – a massive undertaking for any opera house with an outstanding cast including Christopher Maltman as Wotan and Christopher Purves as Alberich.
In the Linbury Theatre, George Benjamin and Martin Crimp bring us Picture a day like this – a major new work which receives its UK premiere following the world premiere this summer at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. After the historic success of Lessons in Love and Violence and Written on Skin, Benjamin and Crimp return alongside stage directors Daniel Jeanneteau and Marie-Christine Soma.
Antonio Pappano, whose first new production at the Royal Opera House was Christof Loy’s production of Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos in 2002, conducts his last new production at the Royal Opera House in Loy’s eagerly anticipated adaptation of Strauss’s Elektra – uniting two of today’s leading dramatic sopranos: Nina Stemme in the title role, and Karita Mattila as the haunted queen Klytämnestra.
In May, a Farewell Gala Concert for Antonio Pappano will see a stellar cast of soloists perform alongside the Chorus and Orchestra in celebration of his 23-year tenure. Maestro Pappano will then lead a cast that includes his longtime collaborator Jonas Kaufmann, and Sondra Radvanovsky and Carlos Álvarez in a revival of David McVicar’s lavish production of Giordano’s Andrea Chénier.
In June 2024, The Royal Opera is delighted to be returning to Japan on tour for the first time since 2019 with performances at Bunka Kaikan Theatre and NHK Hall in Tokyo, and Kanagawa Kenmin Hall in Yokohama. Antonio Pappano will be conducting spectacular casts in Oliver Mears’s darkly elegant production of Verdi’s Rigoletto and Andrei Șerban’s classic staging of Puccini’s Turandot.
The Royal Opera’s exploration into Handel’s Covent Garden operas and oratorios continues with his final masterpiece, Jephtha, which premiered on this site in 1752. This epic new production is staged by Director of The Royal Opera Oliver Mears and is conducted by Handel specialist Laurence Cummings. Extraordinary tenor Allan Clayton performs the title role, joined by an outstanding, largely British cast including Jennifer France, Alice Coote and Brindley Sherratt.
Aigul Akhmetshina and Vasilisa Berzhanskaya share the role of Carmen in Damiano Michieletto’s poetic, contemporary new staging of Bizet’s beloved Carmen. Antonello Manacorda and Emmanuel Villaume conduct two accomplished casts in this sultry new production which evokes the passion and heat of Bizet’s score.
Next Season, the Royal Opera collaborate with Fuel for the first time, presenting the world premiere of Woman & Machine – a ground-breaking binaural opera experience from Mercury-nominated songwriter ESKA, directed by Kirsty Housley. Incorporating the sonic worlds of the neonatal unit and the womb, with influences of contemporary, electronic and Zimbabwean Shona Music, this new work connects themes of life, survival and womanhood.
This Christmas, a range of family favourites return to our stages. Little Bulb’s Oliver award-winning Wolf Witch Giant Fairy will excite children and families in the Linbury Theatre with the original troupe of travelling players returning as the energetic ensemble cast, bringing this endearing folk opera to new audiences, young and old.
On the main stage, music lovers of all ages can enjoy Antony McDonald’s mischievous production of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, newly translated into English by Kelley Rourke. Mark Wigglesworth conducts two stellar casts including Anna Stéphany, Hanna Hipp, Anna Devin and Lauren Fagan.
Following the Irish National Opera’s (INO) Olivier award-winning Bajazet and Least Like The Other, INO and The Royal Opera present their third collaboration: a brand-new staging of Vivaldi’s 1734 opera, L’Olimpiade. The production is directed by Daisy Evans, with conductor Peter Wheelan leading the Irish Baroque Orchestra.
In April, the Jette Parker Artists present a thrilling double-bill. Eleanor Burke directs Martinů’s surreal one-act opera Larmes de couteau and Harriet Taylor directs John Harbison’s adaptation of text from W.B. Yeats’ Full Moon in March. Both works are conducted by Edward Reeve, who will lead the Britten Sinfonia.
The 2023/24 Season also features a raft of beloved revivals including Christof Loy’s La Forza del Destino, Laurent Pelly’s L’elisir d’amore, Oliver Mears’s Rigoletto, Damiano Michieletto’s heat-soaked double-bill Cavalleria rusticana/Pagliacci, Richard Jones’ production of La bohème, Jonathan Kent’s Tosca, Tim Albery’s production of Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman, Moshe Leiser’s and Patrice Caurier’s Madama Butterfly, Katie Mitchell’s production of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, and Jan Philipp Gloger’s production of Così fan tutte.
Director of The Royal Opera, Oliver Mears, said: “Despite opera in the UK being under pressure as never before, The Royal Opera is determined to mark Antonio Pappano’s final season as Music Director with ambition and style across our diverse output.
“We embark on the mammoth task of a new Ring cycle directed by Barrie Kosky, produce eight thrilling new productions across both our stages, continue our Covent Garden Handel odyssey, and – as we have for three hundred years – present the very finest singers and conductors working in the world today. This will be a season our audiences will love – and a fitting final bow for one of our most treasured ever colleagues.”
Royal Opera House across the UK
The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet present 13 productions in 1500 cinemas across the globe next Season, including such beloved classics as Swan Lake and The Nutcracker and exciting new productions of Carmen, by Damiano Michieletto and Das Rheingold, by Barrie Kosky.
Message In A Bottle, the acclaimed dance theatre production by Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Kate Prince, set to the music of Grammy Award-winning artist Sting, has also been filmed for cinema release in May 2024, in partnership with Sadler’s Wells and Universal Music UK. The international refugee crisis is at the centre of this production – an imagined story about one displaced family, and a universal story of loss, fear, survival, hope and love. Songs including ‘Every Breath You Take’, ‘Roxanne’, ‘Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic’ and ‘Fields of Gold’ feature in new arrangements.
This is on top of wider digital innovation as we make available 24 more productions on ROH Stream. These will include work from Wayne McGregor, and Joseph Toonga’s See Us, as well as The Royal Ballet’s new production of Cinderella. These will be supported by a raft of new behind-the-scenes films, interviews and performances, including a celebration of Antonio Pappano’s tenure as Music Director of The Royal Opera; a host of choreographic and vocal masterclasses; and exclusive World Ballet Day content, with rehearsals and insights from across its rich ten-year history.
We also announce our biggest, boldest and most impactful national learning programme to date, inspiring creativity of children and young people across the country. Our flagship Create & Learn programmes drive this national output, which sits alongside industry-leading talent development projects, a new partnership in South Yorkshire, with Rotherham, and a raft of daytime events, family activities and free concerts in our Covent Garden home.
In July, we unveil our first ever national Create Day, connecting more than 2,000 children across four locations around the country: Coventry, Doncaster, Thurrock and Covent Garden. Large scale events, connected via live broadcast, take place in each location and see participants perform pieces inspired by Crystal Pite’s Light of Passage, the culmination of months of work in schools around the UK. This will be expanded still further in 2024, with every school in the country being invited to take part, making it the largest shared cultural schools project ever hosted in the UK.
In Rotherham, we work with local partners to deliver a programme of activity with the aim of reaching every primary school in the region. The programme gives pupils aged 5-11 access to curriculum-linked lesson plans, in school workshops, the chance to see live performances at the Royal Opera House, and to participate in large-scale performance opportunities locally.
It features a collaboration with the Rotherham Music Service on a performance at Magna Science Adventure Centre in June 2024, with more than 1,400 primary school children performing alongside artists of the Royal Opera House in a unique celebration of art, learning and participation. The programme intends to support the creative confidence of teachers and young people in the run up to Rotherham being the first Children’s Capital of Culture in 2025.
Following on from the great legacy of ROH Bridge, we also launch ROH East, a dedicated new programme which works in Levelling Up for Culture schools across the East of England, building confidence of teachers and inspiring creativity of young people across Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and North Kent. We also celebrate the tenth anniversary of Thurrock Trailblazer, which has delivered arts initiatives to almost 100,000 children and young people in 57 schools across the region to date.
At home in Covent Garden
Following this Season’s programme of work in support of Ukraine and those displaced by the war, we continue to work with the displaced Ukrainian community inspiring hope through the collective act of singing. This builds on work undertaken across the 2022/23 Season with the Ukrainian community in London. This included the Songs for Ukraine project, as well as dedicated performances from both The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera, which helped to raise £450,000 for Disasters Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
Young ROH goes from strength-to-strength in its third year, with 10,000 tickets made available to 16–25-year-olds for just £30. The scheme has helped attract younger audiences, which now make up the single largest audience group at the Royal Opera House. This programme sits alongside six whole house Schools’ Matinees, offered at a heavily discounted rate to state school children, and the Paul Hamlyn Christmas Treat, offering a specially-invited audience the chance to see The Nutcracker in our first ever relaxed performance on the Main Stage. We will welcome more than 10,000 young people up and down the country as part of this project.
147 events take place in Covent Garden including 16 free Live at Lunch performances and 40 Insights, offering a unique behind-the scenes look at our resident companies. Many of these are broadcast online for free. We also unveil our biggest programme of guided tours to date, offering 11 unique behind-the-curtain experiences which promise to build on the more than 50,000 tour guests we welcomed last Season. This includes high teas, a look at our second home at the High House Production Park in Thurrock, and curated histories of the Royal Opera House through the lens of Pride and International Women’s Day.
We unveil a host of thought-provoking free exhibitions and displays throughout next Season which bring our spaces to life and invite audiences to delve deeper behind the scenes. These include a celebration of the huge talent that was Maria Callas, celebrating the centennial of her birth, and a dedicated exhibition by photographer Mary McCartney who captured exclusive behind the scenes images of Wayne McGregor’s critically acclaimed ballet The Dante Project. There will also be commemorative displays of beautiful historical costumes including a celebration of the centenary of Nicholas Georgiadis who designed sumptuous costumes for Kenneth MacMillan ballets including Manon and Mayerling.
Nurturing Talent
We continue our efforts to offer new projects that develop future talent and drive diversity across both of our art forms and the industry. Following the success of our Pilot Orchestra Mentorship programme in 2022/23, we launch ‘Overture’ in partnership with Black Lives in Music, continuing to work with young musicians aged 18-25 from the global majority or other underrepresented backgrounds to provide essential mentoring tailored to the participants’ individual needs while enhancing skill sets, insight and training in the classical music field.
Over the Season, we run six more Creative Exchanges with community groups around London, providing a creative space for Royal Opera House artists and external participants to come together, share their experiences and create their own work inspired by ballet and opera stories.
Chance to Dance, our flagship programme aimed at giving primary school children from areas with limited artistic provision their first opportunity to engage creatively with ballet, expands to include five areas, and the Youth Opera Company, our in-house chorus of 50+ state school children, perform in two main stage productions: Cavalleria rusticana/Pagliacci and Carmen.
The Jette Parker Artists recruit an additional seven international artists to take their first steps on the international stage; and we welcome our biggest ever cohort of apprentices (15) into a range of departments across the organisation- including roles in costume, lighting, technical and production, IT, and marketing.
The Cellist_The Royal Ballet, ROH Covent Garden,
Choreography: Cathy Marston ,
The Cellist; Lauren Cuthbertson,
The Conductor; Matthew Ball,
The Instrument; Marcelino Sambe
Scenario; Cathy Marston and Edward Kemp,
Music;Philip Feeney,
Designer;Hildegard Bechtler,
Costume designer;Bregje van Balen,
Lighting designer; Jon Clark,
Alex Beard, Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House, said: “I am delighted to introduce our extraordinary 2023/24 Season – a Season packed with bold and exciting new work and much-loved revivals, alongside the biggest and most impactful programme of national learning work in our history.
“We make full use of our iconic Covent Garden home with a full schedule of daytime events, tours, exhibitions and artistic insights, and continue to secure the future of ballet and opera with our ongoing programme of talent development and innovative creative partnerships.”
Join us in person, watch in cinemas, via ROH Stream, or experience our work through programmes country wide. Tickets are from £9 across the Season.
An innovative system has launched this week to reduce accidental drowning deaths by analysing the circumstances around past water-related fatalities, in what has been hailed one of the world’s first.
The Drowning and Incident Review (DIR) has been created by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), in partnership with Water Safety Scotland (WSS). It aims to reduce accidental drowning deaths by 50 per cent by 2026 and lessen the risk among the highest risk populations, groups and communities.
Until now, the circumstances in many water-related fatalities have been unknown and the risk factors are unclear. On average, 96 people lose their lives due to a water-related fatality each year in Scotland.
The principal aim of the DIR is to gather all relevant data and information in order to systematically review each accidental water-related incident with a view to prevent a future occurrence. The review has been piloted extensively and evaluated with a recent publication in BMJ Injury Prevention.
The benefits of DIR are anticipated at both local and national level in Scotland. It will provide insight into water-based risks by local area, ensuring that those best placed to mitigate these risks are involved in the process and kept informed. Nationally, the enhanced data capture is anticipated to lead to the development of better-informed national strategies to tackle the issue of drowning prevention.
Carlene McAvoy, Leisure Safety Manager of RoSPA and founder and secretariat of Water Safety Scotland said: “DIR has been specifically created for Scotland and is one of the first of its type in the world.
“It will be used as an important tool in Scotland to enable learning from incidents and mitigate the risk of future incidents. This supports the overarching aim of Scotland’s Drowning Prevention Strategy, to reduce accidental drownings by 50 per cent by 2026.”
James Sullivan, Station Commander at SFRS and chair of Water Safety Scotland,added: “DIR provides a clear and consistent format for partners to review water related incidents and gain an understanding of contributory factors.
“This enhanced knowledge will enable a focussed approach to be taken on preventative measures both locally and nationally throughout Scotland”.
DIR is endorsed by lead Search & Rescue Partners; Scottish Fire & Rescue Service (SFRS), Police Scotland (PS), His Majesty’s Coastguard (HMCG), and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) as well as key partners in Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) and Public Health Scotland (PHS).
The DIR process goes live this week and can be used via Water Safety Scotland for any accidental related fatality.
Delivering even more tailored support to tens of thousands of households is at the heart of a major expansion of this year’s Fuel Insecurity Fund.
The First Minister announced in March that the Fund will be tripled to £30 million this year. Details have now been announced of how the additional funding will be used to help those who need it most through new and existing services.
This includes £5 million for one-to-one mentoring for households to be provided by a new funding partner, The Wise Group, as part of a longer-term approach to tackling poverty and its causes.
Households will also be helped through additional funding being directed to existing delivery partners, including:
£9 million to enable Advice Direct Scotland to administer Home Heating Support Fund grants to those struggling with the rapid increase in gas, electricity and oil prices
£8.5 million for the Fuel Bank Foundation to rapidly support more than 85,000 households, including those with prepayment meters and at risk of imminent disconnection
£7.25 million to enable the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations to provide more than 55,000 households across Scotland with advice, support with bills and energy- saving items
Details of the additional support were announced ahead of an anti-poverty summit being convened by the First Minister tomorrow (Wednesday). Those with direct experience of poverty, as well as experts from the public, private and third sectors, will take part.
Energy Minister Gillian Martin visited Advice Direct Scotland’s Glasgow headquarters to meet advisers and learn more about how they are supporting people who are struggling to heat their homes.
She said: “The Fuel Insecurity Fund has been and continues to be a direct lifeline for many thousands of households, which is why the First Minister acted swiftly and decisively to triple the Fund to £30 million this year. We want to support even more people facing unprecedented rises in the cost of energy.
“Whilst the key energy policy levers remain with the UK Government, one of our interdependent missions as a government is to tackle poverty and protect people from the impact of the current cost of living crisis, which is why we have taken this action.
“The UK Government has continually failed to take the necessary steps to support people now and make the necessary changes – which only it can take – to ensure households and businesses never experience an energy crisis like this again.
“This includes reversing its decision to end the Energy Bills Support Scheme and making essential reforms to the energy market so the link between the price of electricity and the cost of gas is permanently broken.”
Conor Forbes, Director of Business Development and Policy at Advice Direct Scotland, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Scottish Government again to support Scottish citizens struggling with the cost-of-living and energy bills.
“With the UK Government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme coming to an end, many are finding themselves having to cut back on energy to afford other things. It’s important that anyone who is struggling reaches out for support.
“Advice Direct Scotland runs a number of services that can offer assistance in various areas related to the cost-of-living, including energy, debt, and support with benefits applications.”
Sean Duffy, Chief Executive Officer at The Wise Group, said: “It’s great to see the Scottish Government taking action to help households struggling with fuel insecurity and poverty.
“We’re proud to be a new funding partner for the Fuel Insecurity Fund, and excited about the opportunity to provide tailored, one-to-one Relational Mentoring to households in need.
“We know that everyone’s situation is different, so we’re committed to taking a personalised approach to support each household in a way that supports sustainable change. We’ve had great success stories, and we’re looking forward to making a real difference to people’s lives through this initiative.”
