The History and Heritage of the Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, which are known collectively as the Royal Ballet and Opera.

In 1728, John Rich commissioned The Beggar's Opera from John Gay. The success of this venture provided him with the capital to build the Theatre Royal at the site of an ancient convent garden. Inigo Jones had developed part of this property in the 1630s with a piazza and St Paul's church. A royal charter had created a fruit and vegetable market in the area, which survived in that location until 1974.

During its first century, the theatre was operated primarily as a playhouse. In 1734, the theatre presented its first ballet, Pygmalion. George Frideric Handel gave regular seasons at the theatre from 1735 until his death in 1759. The theatre was rebuilt in 1792 by Henry Holland, who expanded its capacity. After an 1856 fire, the theatre reopened as the Royal Italian Opera on 6 April 1857 with a performance of Rossini's Semiramide.

During the Second World War, the ROH became a dance hall. Following negotiations, Boosey & Hawkes acquired the lease. The Royal Opera House reopened on 20 February 1946 with a performance of The Sleeping Beauty in an extravagant new production designed by Oliver Messel. In December 1946, the companies shared their first production, Purcell's The Fairy-Queen, with the ballet company.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons