Every Sunday in November, the Royal Opera House will be opening its doors and inviting you to take part in their festival programme for just £5 per person.
You can expect a huge array of immersive experiences, from sound installations that delve into the history of the Royal Opera House to getting up close and personal with characters from ballets and operas, and watching the backstage teams demonstrate how their bring each show to life. Polish your dance moves or vocal skills in classes or enjoy a stunning performance by The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera. After all of the fun, look forward to relaxing with a coffee and a guided tour or exhibition.
Whether you’re an Opera lover or a first time visitor, there are activities to appeal to every family and kids of all ages (although they suggest children aged three and over will be able to make the most of it).
Book now for this festival of making, doing and experiencing where everyone is welcome, at the Royal Opera House website.
Learn the craft
A day for learning and making. Take part in an upcycling craft workshop and learn about the Royal Opera House backstages creative teams and their intriguing talents, including wig-making and makeup artistry.
You can also look forward to performances including dance duets by choreographers Hubert Essakow, Alexander Whitley and Richard Chappell, and a screening of Candoco Dance Company’s film Unspoken Spoken.
Time: 11am to 1.30pm and 2.30pm to 5pm
Price: £5 per person
Verdi’s La Traviata
Look forward to a kid-friendly retelling of Verdi’s La Traviata in a pop-up performance of this tragic and beautiful love story. The whole family will love the opportunity to experience opera and ballet costumes worn by famous performers past and present.
Tots to teens can enjoy a concert from Billy’s Band, featuring members of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.
ROH Late
Time: 6pm to 9.30pm
Price: £5 per person
The Month of Sundays festival finale will be a special evening full of fun. Treat yourself to a cuppa at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, enjoy performances from Lost Dog theatre company and challenge your trivia knowledge in a quiz hosted by Impact Dance’s Artistic Director and Choreographer Hakeem Onibudo.
Time: 2.30pm to 5pm
Price: £5 per person
Royal Opera House Remembers This Remembrance Sunday, make poppies together as a family, take part in a traditional tea dance with a live band and visit a sound installation featuring the voices of Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev, two of the most celebrated dancers in The Royal Ballet’s history.
Each performance will explore artistic responses to World War I. There will be a performance of The Lads in their Hundreds, by Arvo Pärt’s Magnificat and George Butterworth’s, and dancers from the New English Ballet Theatre will take to the stage to perform an extract from Wayne Eagling’s new ballet, Remembrance. You’ll also be able to get a sneak peak at rehearsals for a new ballet called The Unknown Soldier, from Alastair Marriott.
Discover the past
Time: 11am to 1.30pm and 2.30pm to 5pm
Price: £5 per person
Get to know characters from the Royal Opera House’s past, including The Royal Ballet’s founder Ninette de Valois and Frederick Gye, who was manager of the Royal Opera House in Victorian times, brought to life by theatre director Anna Morrisey.
There will be exciting performances from the Royal Opera Chorus, Youth Opera Company and The Royal Ballet School as well as glimpses into upcoming ballet shows.
Discover more