The Royal Ballet are heading back to home turf.
Seven months away is a long time to go without taking to the stage, but if there’s anyone I’d back to return in tip-top condition and ready to put on a show, it’d be the Royal Ballet. On Friday, October 9, the full Company of the Royal Ballet will return to the stage at Covent Garden, ready to deliver the live ballet treat London has been starved of these past few months (unless you happened to meander along the Haggerston Riviera, of course). Though audiences won’t be present, the show will be livestreamed to fans across the globe for a sort of Royal Ballet greatest hits compilation.
Exciting stuff, isn’t it? The show – simply billed Back on Stage – will feature the full team of Royal Ballet dancers, along with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, and has been put together by the company’s Director, Kevin O’Hare. It’s set to feature a series of dazzling highlights from their repertory, including pas de deux and excerpts from classical ballets and contemporary work.
The show will be broadcast live around the world at 7:30pm on October 9 – should you want to watch, it’ll cost £16 per household to watch via Vimeo, with Back on Stage available for 30 days after the initial broadcast. The Royal Ballet are also treating the show as a pilot performance ahead of the much-awaited return of audiences, as they’ve invited a socially-distanced audience of student and health workers to enjoy the show. With a bit of luck, and a lot of hand washing, that could be us in the not-too-distant future…