After winning a Michelin star at Petrus, Angela Hartnett went on to open her own restaurants, including the Michelin-starred Murano in Mayfair and its sister restaurant Cafe Murano in Covent Garden. Now there is Cicoria in the Royal Opera House.
Black History Month Draft Works Review
Black Dance-Makers Point to the Future Five young Black women choreographers came together for two evenings of Draft Works marking The Royal Ballet’s association with Black History Month; and the first thing to note is the sheer abundance of ideas on show. That, and the obvious talent of these young women, most of them barely […]
Like Water for Chocolate, The Royal Ballet Review
Christopher Wheeldon’s Foray Into Magical Realism The Royal Ballet opened its 2025/26 season with the first revival of Christopher Wheeldon’s 2022 Like Water for Chocolate, and as season openers go, I can’t think of many ballets that would offer an audience more bang for their buck. Bob Crowley’s stunning, atmospheric designs, Joby Talbot’s sweeping, narrative […]
Preview: The Magic Flute at The Royal Opera House
The Magic Flute – Unlock the Secrets of Mozart’s Most Spellbinding Adventure This autumn, the Magic Flute returns to the Royal Opera House stage in a revival of David McVicar’s acclaimed production. Running from 10 October to 3 November 2025, the Royal Opera House celebrates the 400th performance of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, one of […]
The Sicilian Vespers – Royal Opera
Stefan Herheim’s Opulent Production of The Sicilian Vespers returns to the RBO The Royal Opera House’s current staging of The Sicilian Vespers, originally directed by Stefan Herheim, revived under Dan Dooner and conducted by Speranza Scappucci, brings Verdi’s epic vividly to life at Covent Garden. Scappucci, making her debut as Principal Guest Conductor, approaches the […]
Oliver Mears’ Tosca at The Royal Opera House
The ROH’s previous much-reprised production of Tosca, directed by Jonathan Kent, had become a comfortable old pair of slippers, visually sumptuous and totally reliable. Oliver Mears’ Tosca is fresh and high on melodrama and entertainment value, with a first cast that reaches the peaks of operatic excellence.
A Single Man, Linbury Theatre
Isherwood’s Emblematic Gay Novel Becomes a Ballet Grief fractures you. And if it’s grief you can’t share with those around you, it becomes even more corrosive. Such is the grief afflicting George, the central character of Christopher Isherwood’s 1964 gay novel, A Single Man, now turned into an affecting ballet, which has opened the new […]
Gounod’s Faust at the Royal Opera House
After a glorious opening night at Glyndebourne, it’s a pleasure to be back at the Royal Opera House for the stunning visual and musical feast that is the all-star 6th revival of Sir David McVicar’s hit 2004 production of Gounod’s Faust.
Ballet to Broadway: Wheeldon Works
Magic and Joy in Four Christopher Wheeldon Ballets The mixed programme Ballet to Broadway: Wheeldon Works has just opened at Covent Garden and is a tribute to the internationally acclaimed choreographer Christopher Wheeldon OBE. It is a chance to see on the ROH stage some of his works that originated in places other than The […]
Crystal Pite’s Light of Passage at the Royal Ballet
Light of Passage is a short piece, Flight Pattern is only 30 minutes long with Covenant and Passage being 10 and 20 minutes long respectively. As a whole, however, it delivers a considerable emotional punch. Jay Gower Taylor’s set, Tom Visser’s lighting, Gorecki’s music, and of course the brilliant dancers of the Royal Ballet, create the haunting atmosphere of this profoundly moving work. This is not to be missed. – get a ticket if you can.