It’s not opera that’s elitist but the idea that art is too complex for the working class

Studies such as Jonathan Rose’s magnificent The Intellectual Life of the British Working Classes and Edith Hall and Henry ...

London's Royal Opera House to sell Hockney painting to survive COVID crisis

London's Royal Opera House is to sell a 1970s painting by David Hockney as it seeks to raise cash to get through the COVID-19 pandemic, the worst crisis in its history.
The Big IssueOpinion

Tosca's Russian soprano row sees politics replace performance for Royal Opera

Controversy over Russian soprano Anna Netrebko's casting in the Royal Opera's production of Tosca has sparked protests in ...

Ballet and Fashion Collide With Reiss and the Royal Ballet Collaboration

The dance company’s dancers Marianna Tsembenhoi and Francisco Serrano star in the British retailer's campaign.
The Stage

Royal Ballet and Opera needs funding to hit green goals – sustainability boss

The Royal Ballet and Opera's environmental manager has warned that the organisation will be unlikely to reach its 10-year ...

The Royal Ballet’s new high-street collection suits all ages and body shapes

This grown-up take on ‘ballet core’ is surprisingly wearable. There’s something to suit every age and body shape ...

Celebrating 75 years of Peanuts and Snoopy, and more: Radio and podcasts of the week

Handel’s Semele Radio 3/BBC Sounds, 6pm The darkness of Oliver Mears’s new production at the Royal Opera House received a mixed reception from the critics when it opened at Covent Garden in July, ...

Program: Saturday Night at the Opera: Semele by Handel

Premiered in 1774, Semele is the latest in the Royal Opera House's series of Handel operas and oratorios that were first ...