ROYAL OPERA HOUSE BOX OFFICE OPENS MONDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 1999

ˇ OVER 87,000 SEATS ON SALE FOR PERFORMANCES IN DECEMBER, JANUARY AND FEBRUARY

ˇ BOX OFFICE TO OPEN CONTINUOUSLY FROM 8AM MONDAY TO 8AM WEDNESDAY

ˇ FIRST ALL-NIGHT BOX OFFICE IN THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE

ˇ ROYAL OPERA HOUSE'S NEW BOW STREET - PIAZZA LINK OPENS TO PUBLIC

ˇ ROH ACCESSIBLE FROM COVENT GARDEN PIAZZA FOR THE FIRST TIME

The Royal Opera House's Box Office opens on Monday 27 September at 8am to take bookings for all performances in December, January and February. Over 87,000 tickets will be available with guaranteed availability for all performances at all prices.

Telephone booking also opens on Monday 27 September at 8am. Lines will remain open for 24 hours on each of the first two days, giving 48 continuous hours of telephone booking to accommodate the expected initial demand, and to facilitate overseas booking from any time-zone.

The Box Office is situated in the new link that joins the Covent Garden Piazza and
Bow Street. Entry is via the arcade in the north-west corner of Covent Garden Piazza. The Link will be open to the public from 8am on Monday, providing visitors to the
Box Office with their first glimpse inside the new Opera House.

Box Office: 0171 304 4000

The Box Office for personal callers opens on Monday 27 September at 8am. On that day it will remain open until 10pm. From Tuesday 28 September it will be open between 10am - 8pm (Monday - Saturday).

From Wednesday 29 September telephone lines will be open from 10am to 8pm (Monday to Saturday).

DECEMBER DEBUTS

2 December, 7.30pm
The Linbury Studio Theatre
St Clement Danes School Write an Opera Project
SmithKline Beecham Community Partnership Education Programme
The first of a series of performances in The Linbury Studio Theatre featuring the
Royal Opera House's long-running outreach projects which will include Chance to Dance and Monday Moves.

4 December, 1pm The Linbury Studio Theatre
Free Lunchtime Recital featuring The Soloists of the Royal Opera House
The inaugural free lunchtime concert in The Linbury Studio Theatre.
Note: Tickets for free events are available only from 10am on the day of performance.

4 December, 7.30pm Main Auditorium
Opening Celebration
Sponsored by Citigroup
The first public performance in the Main Auditorium, featuring The Royal Ballet with guest artists Sylvie Guillem, Viviana Durante, Irek Mukhamedov and Angel Corella,
The Royal Opera with guests including Plácido Domingo and Deborah Polaski,
The Royal Opera Chorus and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

6 December, 10am Throughout the building
Daytime opening to the public begins with access to the Vilar Floral Hall, Amphitheatre Bars, the Crush Room and original foyers in the 1858 building. Permanent exhibitions and temporary displays will be sited round the building.
Opening hours 10am to 3pm, Monday to Saturday

6 December, 7.30pm Main Auditorium
Falstaff (Verdi)
Sponsored (1999) by Prudential Corporation plc
The Royal Opera opens its first season in the redeveloped Royal Opera House with the World Premiere of Graham Vick's new production of Verdi's Falstaff, designed by
Paul Brown with Bryn Terfel in the title role.

8 December, 7.30pm Main Auditorium
A Celebration of International Choreography
Sponsored (1999) by Mr and Mrs Thomas G. Lynch
The first performance of The Royal Ballet's season features new one-act ballets by Siobhan Davies and Ashley Page and selections of short works by internationally acclaimed choreographers.

10 December, 10.30am The Clore Studio Upstairs
The Royal Ballet at Work
The first of a monthly series of opportunities to watch The Royal Ballet in class.

10 December, 7.30pm Main Auditorium
Le Grand Macabre
Sponsored (1999) by The Friends of Covent Garden
The British premiere of Peter Sellars' production of György Ligeti's acerbic fable.

16 December, 5pm Vilar Floral Hall
A Ceremony of Carols
A free promenade performance of Benjamin Britten's A Ceremony of Carols by members of The Royal Opera Chorus.

17 December, 7.30pm Main Auditorium
The Nutcracker
Revival sponsored (1999) by The Friends of Covent Garden
The first performance of Peter Wright's revised staging for The Royal Ballet.

18 December
'Magical Mystery Journey'
The first in a series of Family Days including music, dance, drama and design workshops for the whole family.

27 December, 7.30pm Main Auditorium
Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna in concert.

28 December, 7.30pm The Linbury Studio Theatre
The National Youth Music Theatre presents
The Kissing Dance or She Stoops to Conquer
Promoted by The Children's Music Theatre Ltd
The first performance by a visiting company in The Linbury Studio Theatre.

31 December
Millennium Family Events 'Nutcracking Time'
A morning of events for all the family, preceding a matinee performance of
The Nutcracker.

Backstage Tours begin in January 2000 starting at 10.30am, 12.30pm and 2.30pm Monday to Saturday. Booking for these tours opens from Monday 11 October (for January to April 2000) through the Box Office.

The Royal Opera House is available on the Internet at www.royaloperahouse.org