Via Press Release:
The Royal Opera House is delighted to announce that this summer’s free BP Summer Big Screen performances are The Royal Ballet’s Manon and The Royal Opera’s Madam Butterfly and Cinderella (aka Cendrillon). These productions will be beamed live from Covent Garden to 21 locations up and down the country (Bradford, Bristol, Derby, Dover, Leicester, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Norwich, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Swansea, Swindon, Waltham Forest and Woolwich, Belfast and Edinburgh, plus Aberdeen, Ipswich, Purfleet, and in London, Trafalgar Square and Canary Wharf) as part of the programme.
The screenings will include exclusive backstage footage, live audience interaction and the chance to win goodies and tickets to The Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker next Season. More details on promotions and tips on how to prepare the perfect Big Screen picnic via the ROH blog.
Alina Cojocaru as Manon and Johan Kobborg as Des Grieux in Kenneth MacMillan's Manon. Photo: Bill Cooper / ROH ©
The live screening of Manon takes place at 7.30pm this Wednesday 1 June. Presented by Deborah Bull, Creative Director of the Royal Opera House and BBC Presenter Zeb Soanes, the ballet will feature Alina Cojocaru and Johan Kobborg in the leading roles.
This Kenneth MacMillan 20th-century masterpiece is a signature work of The Royal Ballet. It follows the all consuming affair of a student, Des Grieux, with the beautiful Manon Lescaut – a story of passion, corruption and tragedy. Manon’s fickleness in choosing between true love and a life of money and comfort proves the downfall of her and her lover, taking them both from youthful hope in Paris to death in the swamps of Louisiana.
Alina Cojocaru and Johan Kobborg in Kenneth MacMillan's Manon. Photo: Bill Cooper / ROH ©
Deborah Bull, Creative Director of the Royal Opera House, said:
These annual screens are a highlight of our performing season: they allow us to reach new audiences across the UK and to offer a unique window on our world through live presentation from behind the scenes, specially created films, cast interviews and more. The free BP Summer Big Screens are a great way in to ballet and opera for newcomers – and an absolute treat for anyone who enjoys music and dance.
Further Information:
Follow BP Big Screens on Twitter @bpbigscreens
