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Age: General
Genre: Opera
Sub Genre: Comedy
La Calisto was first seen in 1651 and is now the first Cavalli opera ever to be performed by The Royal Opera. It has all the Baroque hallmarks of eloquent recitatives, sensuous arias and delightful dance rhythms combined with a witty story of comic sexual confusion between gods and mortals.
The piece is performed by a fine cast of singers under the acclaimed conductor Ivor Bolton, with The Monteverdi Continuo Ensemble and members of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. David Alden’s production is visually arresting in its brilliantly coloured sets and costumes.
Already rapturously received in Munich, it comes with a wonderfully modern twist for what Alden describes as a ‘riotous sex-comedy production of a riotous sex comedy’ as the virginal nymph Calisto resists all amorous advances from the god Jove – even when he is disguised as the chaste goddess Diana.
Performed in Italian with English surtitles.
show times: 23, 25 Sep, 1, 3, 10 Oct 19:30, 27 Sep 12:00
ticket prices: £5-£110
duration: 3h
cast: Umberto Chiummo, Markus Werba, Sally Matthews, Monica Bacelli, Lawrence Zazzo, Guy de Mey, Dominique Visse, Ed Lyon, Clive Bayley, Veronique Gens
director: David Alden
set designer: Paul Steinberg
lighting designer: Pat Collins
costume: Buki Shiff
conductor: Ivor Bolton
producer: Royal Opera
map: View Map
address: Covent Garden,London,United Kingdom,WC2E 9DD
nearest tube: Covent Garden (120m) Leicester Square (approx. 500m)
nearest bus: 1, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 23, 26, 68, 76, 77a, 91, 168, 171, 176, 188, 501(southbound only), 505, 521, X68 all go to the Aldwych.
parking: NCP at Drury Lane and Shelton Street. 4 spaces for blue badge holders on Floral Street and 3 on Bow Street. Taxi lay-by outside theatre on Bow Street or taxi rank at Covent Garden Piazza end of Russell Street.
air conditioned: Yes
Access Booking: Tel: 020 7304 4000 Fax: 020 7212 9460 Minicom: 020 7212 9228
discounts: Half price tickets available for all disabled theatregoers and their companions provided you are on the access list – to join please call the above numbers.
limited mobility: Aisle seats and boxes have the best leg room.
access description: Fixed ramps at Bow Street (push button to open doors) and Piazza entrances. Box Office and Information point (with lowered service counters) to right of Bow Street entrance. 5 lifts (Braille buttons and voice announcements) to all levels, beyond the Box Office and cloakroom. There are 27 steps down to the Linbury Studio reachable via a slight ramp. In main auditorium, 15 steps up from ground level to the Stalls Circle. Then 15 steps up to Grand Tier, 21 to Balcony, further 15 to Lower Slips, 30 to Amphitheatre and 56 to Upper Amphitheatre. 1 step between each row in Stalls Circle and Grand Tier and Balcony, 3 in Amphitheatre (fairly steep). All staircases have handrails and some steps are highlighted. Escalator from Floral Hall to Amphitheatre.
hearing impaired: Infrared system with 20 headsets. Collect headsets from FOH Duty Manager’s Desk in main foyer. Surtitles for all opera productions.
guide dogs policy: Guide dogs allowed into auditorium and staff available to dog-sit if required.
wheelchairs: Spaces for wheelchair users at Stalls Circle (6 spaces), Grand Tier (4 spaces), Balcony (6 spaces), Upper Amphitheatre (3 spaces). Express lift too small for motorised wheelchairs/scooters, but other lifts are fine. Wheelchair and scooter transfer seating available, wheelchairs/scooters stored in cloakroom.
toilets: Men’s and women’s at Stalls Circle and Amphitheatre levels and in Vilar Floral Hall.
disabled toilets: Adapted toilets by lifts at all levels. Non-adapted toilets have some cubicles with wider doors and hand rails (marked on door).
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