Performances by Royal Opera and Royal Ballet companies in stately Covent Garden theatre.

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Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera House, a Covent Garden landmark, uniquely houses both the Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet, a dual artistic residency unparalleled in its scale and prestige. Its history is marked by not one, but three distinct theatres on the same site, each succumbing to fire before the present structure emerged in the late 19th century. The Floral Hall, a magnificent glass and iron structure initially conceived as a flower market, now serves as a stunning extension of the opera house's public spaces, hosting events and exhibitions. A little-known fact is that beneath the stage lies a complex network of machinery, allowing for rapid scene changes and elaborate stage effects, a testament to Victorian engineering ingenuity. The Royal Opera House's archive holds a treasure trove of costumes, set designs, and musical scores, offering a glimpse into centuries of operatic and balletic history. The Linbury Theatre, an intimate underground space, provides a platform for experimental works and emerging artists, contrasting sharply with the grand main stage.

Introduction

The Royal Opera House (ROH), located in Covent Garden, London, serves as the principal venue for both The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet, now collectively known as the Royal Ballet and Opera. Originally a playhouse, the first ballet was presented at the theatre in 1734, followed by the inaugural opera season by George Frideric Handel in 1735, who specifically composed many operas and oratorios for the venue. In 1946, the Sadler's Wells Ballet, which later became The Royal Ballet, was invited to become the resident ballet company of the Royal Opera House under the direction of David Webster, marking a significant transition for the company.

The Royal Ballet continues to maintain its base at the Royal Opera House, uniting tradition and heritage with innovation and artistry. The Royal Ballet's extensive repertoire, from 19th-century classics to works by Founder Choreographer Frederick Ashton, Principal Choreographer Kenneth MacMillan, Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor, and Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon, are all performed at the ROH. The Royal Ballet School, founded by Ninette de Valois in 1926, maintains strong links with the ROH, offering structured dance programs and outreach initiatives. The Royal Opera House Covent Garden Foundation supports the activities of The Royal Ballet and Opera.

Royal Ballet and Opera Companies

The Royal Opera House in London has distinguished itself through performance innovation, notably with "Current, Rising," the world's first opera in hyper reality. This 15-minute hyper reality opera experience, a collaboration between the Royal Opera House’s innovation programme, Audience Labs, Figment Productions, and Royal Holloway, University of London, combines virtual reality with a multisensory set. It invites audiences into a bespoke ‘Opera Tardis’ for a dream-like journey musically carried by a poem layered in song.

"Current, Rising," directed by video pioneer Netia Jones, designed by Jo Scotcher, and composed by Samantha Fernando, draws inspiration from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, exploring themes of isolation, connection, and collective reimagination. This experiment, funded by UK Research and Innovation and developed by a female-led creative team, blends historic stagecraft, artistic excellence, and cutting-edge technology. The Royal Opera House also provides an Insight Event, exploring the creative process, technology, and composition of this piece.

Annette Mees, Head of Audience Labs, emphasizes the ambition to transport audiences to a visionary new opera landscape through digital technology, encapsulating a 21st-century version of "gesamtkunstwerk." Netia Jones highlights VR's potential to democratize opera, enmeshing music, visuals, and physical experience, while Simon Reveley, CEO of Figment Productions, underscores the development of a ‘hyper reality’ platform enabling shared exploration of a virtual world with real-world effects. Alex Beard, Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House, hails "Current, Rising" as a perfectly formed experiment reimagining opera in bold new ways.

Performance Innovation

The Royal Opera House, located in Covent Garden, London, has undergone several architectural transformations since the first Theatre Royal was built on the site in 1732. John Rich, buoyed by the success of The Beggar's Opera, commissioned Edward Shepherd to design the original theatre. This structure was destroyed by fire in 1808 and was succeeded by a second neoclassical theatre designed by Robert Smirke, notable as the first London building with a Doric-style façade. This second building, also known as the Royal Italian Opera House, introduced limelight stage lighting.

Following another fire in 1856, the third and current Royal Opera House was erected. Edward Middleton Barry designed the main Bow Street facade, featuring a neoclassical portico reminiscent of a Greek temple, complete with Corinthian columns and Baroque Revival ornamentation. Barry also created the Floral Hall, an iron and glass structure initially used as a flower market, later becoming the Paul Hamlyn Hall after renovations in the 1990s by Stanton Williams Architects.

A major reconstruction, completed between 1997 and 1999, involved demolishing most of the complex, excluding the auditorium, to create improved technical, rehearsal, and public spaces. Jeremy Dixon and Edward Jones of Dixon Jones BDP led the design team for this project. The auditorium retains its traditional horseshoe shape, while the addition of the Linbury studio theatre and the incorporation of the Floral Hall significantly expanded the venue's functionality and public accessibility. The Open Up Project between 2014 and 2018 further enhanced the building's accessibility, reorganizing the entrance and facade areas.

Architectural History

The Royal Opera House in London has been rebuilt multiple times due to devastating fires. The first Theatre Royal, constructed on the site of a former convent garden, was destroyed by fire in 1808. Following this, a second theatre, designed by Robert Smirke, opened in 1809, but it too was lost to fire in 1856. Each fire necessitated a complete reconstruction, reflecting the evolving architectural and theatrical tastes of the time.

The current structure, the third theatre on the site, was designed by Edward Middleton Barry and opened in 1858. While the facade, foyer, and auditorium date back to this period, extensive renovations in the 1960s and 70s, and a major reconstruction between 1997 and 1999, have significantly altered much of the complex. The 1990s reconstruction, costing £213 million, involved demolishing almost the entire site, excluding the auditorium, to create improved technical, rehearsal, office, and educational facilities. This project also incorporated the adjacent Floral Hall, which had fallen into disrepair, into a new public gathering space. These continuous cycles of destruction and rebuilding have shaped the Royal Opera House into the modern, multifaceted venue it is today.

Royal Opera House

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