Monday 19 November 2018 Antonio Pappano and Darcey Bussell among guest presenters at the new Royal Opera House Cinema Festival Guest presenters will offer exclusive performance insights during the Royal Opera House Cinema Festival, which opens on Monday 3 December in the state-of-the-art Linbury Theatre. Famous faces include former Royal Ballet Principal Darcey Bussell (presenting Sylvia, 7 December, 7pm) and Music Director of The Royal Opera Antonio Pappano (presenting Otello, 21 December, 7pm, and The Flying Dutchman, 29 December, 7pm). The festival, which includes 11 free opera and ballet performances for children, runs until Sunday 6 January. Sarah Lamb as Perdita in The Winter’s Tale © 2018 ROH. Photograph by Tristram Kenton For all Royal Opera House press releases visit www.roh.org.uk/for/press- and-media The guest presenters will offer expert knowledge and unique insights as they open selected performances with a short introduction. Also among those taking to the stage to present are Royal Ballet Principals Sarah Lamb (Manon, 28 December, 7pm) and Edward Watson (The Winter’s Tale, 23 December, 4pm), Principal Character Artists Kristen McNally (Romeo and Juliet, 29 December, 2pm) and Philip Mosley (La Fille mal gardée, 8 December, 2pm) as well as stars from The Royal Opera including sopranos Susan Bullock (Gloriana, 14 December, 7pm) and former Jette Parker Young Artist Madeleine Pierard (Cendrillon, 16 December, 4pm). In addition, Director John Copley will present his version of La bohème (8 December, 7pm), Director of The Royal Opera Oliver Mears will present La bohème, (Sunday 30 December, 4pm), British director and Head of Royal Opera Staff Directors Amy Lane will present Tosca (22 December, 7pm and Don Giovanni (5 January, 7pm) and American conductor and Chorus Director of the Royal Opera Chorus William Spaulding will host Nabucco (4 January, 7pm). Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet commented ‘Featuring heritage and contemporary works from both The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera, this Cinema Festival showcases the best of the Royal Opera House.’ “Audiences will also have the exclusive opportunity to hear from the artists and staff who brought these cinema productions to life. What better way to celebrate their talents and 10 years of cinema broadcasts than in London’s newest theatre.’ Cinema festival audiences will be the first visitors to enjoy the Linbury Theatre, the West End’s newest and most intimate theatre, which opens for staged performances in January 2019. The cinema festival has been thematically curated by Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet, to showcase world-class opera and ballet at its best and to offer something special for younger audiences. Tickets cost £10–£17 for adults and are free for children aged five to 15 years for The Nutcracker on 3 December and for all Saturday and Sunday matinee performances. We ask for a maximum of two children with any one adult. To book tickets visit: www.roh.org.uk/cinemafestival Images available here: https://we.tl/t-y8CRnC3ZqX ENDS Page 2 of 4 NOTES TO EDITORS 1. For further information or interview requests please contact [email protected] 2. For images or press ticket requests please contact [email protected] 3. Images available to download here: https://we.tl/t-y8CRnC3ZqX About the Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House’s aim is for many more people to enjoy and engage in exceptional ballet and opera. As The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, we bring together the world’s most extraordinary ballet and opera artists in more than 500 performances every year: live events that thrill, move and excite, and that transport people to other worlds though music, dance and theatre. The following productions will feature in the Royal Opera House Cinema Festival in the Linbury Theatre • Monday 3 December, 7.15pm – The Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker, 7.15pm, LIVE (rating 12A) – free for children • Friday 7 December, 7pm – The Royal Ballet’s Sylvia featuring Darcey Bussell and Roberto Bolle, presented by Darcey Bussell • Saturday 8 December, 2pm – The Royal Ballet’s La Fille mal gardée featuring Natalia Osipova and Steven McRae – free for children, presented by Philip Mosley • Saturday 8 December, 7pm – The Royal Opera’s 1974 production of La bohème (2009–10 revival) and featuring Hibla Gerzmava and Teodor Ilincai presented by director John Copley • Sunday 9 December, 4pm – The Royal Opera’s The Magic Flute, featuring Siobhan Stagg, Mauro Peter, Roderick Williams and Mika Kares – free for children • Friday 14 December, 7pm – The Royal Opera’s Gloriana featuring Susan Bullock and Toby Spence, presented by Susan Bullock • Saturday 15 December, 2pm – The Royal Ballet’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, featuring Lauren Cuthbertson – free for children • Saturday 15 December, 7pm – The Royal Opera’s La traviata, featuring Renée Fleming and Joseph Calleja Page 3 of 4 • Sunday 16 December, 4pm – The Royal Opera’s Cendrillon, featuring Joyce DiDonato and Alice Coote – free for children, presented by Madeleine Pierard • Friday 21 December, 7pm – The Royal Opera’s Otello, featuring Jonas Kaufmann, Maria Agresta and Marco Vratogna, presented by Antonio Pappano • Saturday 22 December, 2pm – The Royal Ballet’s Swan Lake in the version by Anthony Dowell, featuring Natalia Osipova and Matthew Golding – free for children • Saturday 22 October, 7pm – The Royal Opera’s Tosca, featuring Angela Gheorghiu, Jonas Kaufmann and Bryn Terfel, presented by Amy Lane • Sunday 23 December, 4pm – The Royal Ballet’s The Winter’s Tale, featuring Edward Watson, Lauren Cuthbertson and Sarah Lamb – free for children, presented by Edward Watson • Friday 28 December, 7pm – The Royal Ballet’s Manon, featuring Sarah Lamb and Vadim Muntagirov, presented by Sarah Lamb • Saturday 29 December, 2pm – The Royal Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet, featuring Lauren Cuthbertson and Federico Bonelli – free for children, presented by Kristen McNally • Saturday 29 December, 7pm – The Royal Opera’s The Flying Dutchman, featuring Bryn Terfel (NB no interval), presented by Antonio Pappano • Sunday 30 December, 4pm – The Royal Opera’s La bohème (2017 production, directed by Richard Jones), featuring Nicole Car and Michael Fabiano – free for children, presented by Oliver Mears • Friday 4 January, 7pm – The Royal Opera’s Nabucco, featuring Plácido Domingo, presented by William Spaulding • Saturday 5 January, 2pm – The Royal Ballet’s Swan Lake in the new version by Liam Scarlett, featuring Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Muntagirov – free for children • Saturday 5 January, 7pm – The Royal Opera’s Don Giovanni featuring Mariusz Kwiecień, Alex Esposito and Malin Byström, presented by Amy Lane • Sunday 6 January, 4pm – The Royal Ballet’s Giselle featuring Natalia Osipova and Carlos Acosta – free for children Page 4 of 4 .