Mayerling was given its premiere at the Royal Opera House on 14 February 1978 and was dedicated to the Company’s founder choreographer Frederick Ashton. The production, with its stunning designs by Nicholas Georgiadis and lighting by John B. Read, is set to John Lanchbery’s arrangement and orchestration of music by Franz Liszt. Inspired by real-life events, it tells a tale of psychological and political intrigue – of the events surrounding the murder-suicide of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary and his mistress, Mary Vetsera. It remains, to this day, a masterpiece of storytelling, filled with potent ensemble scenes and some of the most daring and emotionally demanding pas de deux in the ballet repertory.

The live cinema relay showcases the breadth of talent in the Company. Principal dancer Ryoichi Hirano performs as Crown Prince Rudolf – a role often regarded as the ‘Hamlet’ of classical ballet, that requires the dancer to perform seven major pas de deux with five different women, and match technical prowess with real, dramatic skill. He is joined by Principal dancer Natalia Osipova as Baroness Mary Vetsera, and Principals Laura Morera, Francesca Hayward and Marianela Nuñez as Countess Marie Larisch, Princess Stephanie and Mitzi Caspar respectively.

Our cinema programme has brought opera and ballet to audiences across the globe since 2008. For the 2022/23 Season, an astonishing 13 productions from The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera will be broadcast to more than 1,300 cinemas from the UK all the way to New Zealand. Each broadcast offers audiences the best seat in the house, and includes exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and insights into the rehearsal process. The programme forms an integral part of our plan to secure our future, expand audiences and continue to help facilitate the vital recovery of cinema domestically and internationally.

Live: Wednesday 5 October 2022, 7:15pm BST

Running time: 3 hours and 25 minutes (including two intervals)

The Royal Ballet

MAYERLING

Choreography Kenneth MacMillan

Music Franz Liszt

Arrangement and orchestration John Lanchbery

Designer Nicholas Georgiadis

Scenario Gillian Freeman

Lighting designer John B. Read

Conductors Koen Kessels/ Martin Georgiev

Crown Prince Rudolf Ryoichi Hirano

Baroness Mary Vetsera Natalia Osipova

Countess Marie Larisch Laura Morera

Empress Elisabeth Christina Arestis

Princess Stephanie Francesca Hayward

Mitzi Caspar Marianela Nuñez

Bratfisch Luca Acri

Emperor Franz Joseph Christopher Saunders

Colonel ‘Bay’ Middleton Gary Avis

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing, Aud Jebsen, Doug and Ceri King, John and Susan Burns OBE, Sir Lloyd and Lady Dorfman, The Paul Ferguson Memorial Fund and The Fonteyn Circle

Long summary

Inspired by dark and gripping real life events, this Royal Ballet classic depicts the sexual and morbid obsessions of Crown Prince Rudolf leading to the murder-suicide scandal with his mistress Mary Vetsera. The oppressive glamour of the Austro-Hungarian court in the 1880s sets the scene for a suspenseful drama of psychological and political intrigue as Rudolf fixates on his mortality. Kenneth MacMillan’s 1978 ballet remains a masterpiece of storytelling and this revival marks 30 years since the choreographer’s death. Expect to see The Royal Ballet at its dramatic finest across potent ensemble scenes and some of the most daring and emotionally demanding pas de deux in the ballet repertory.

About The Royal Ballet

Under the directorship of Kevin O’Hare, The Royal Ballet unites tradition and innovation in world-class performances and is a driving force in the development of ballet as an art form. Based at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, it brings together today’s most dynamic and versatile dancers with a world-class orchestra and leading choreographers, composers, conductors, directors and creative teams to share awe-inspiring theatrical experiences with diverse audiences worldwide. The Company’s extensive repertory embraces 19th-century classics, the singular legacy of works by Founder Choreographer Frederick Ashton and Principal Choreographer Kenneth MacMillan, a compelling new canon of work by choreographers today including Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor and Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon, and the bold and complementary programming in the Linbury Theatre. Guest choreographers Kyle Abraham, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Cathy Marston, Arthur Pita, Crystal Pite, Hofesh Shechter, Pam Tanowitz and Twyla Tharp have also created work for the Company.

About the Royal Opera House

Home to The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, the Royal Opera House brings together world-class performers and trailblazing creative teams to share unforgettable performances with audiences near and far. Our theatres are in London’s Covent Garden, but our work is accessed and experienced across the UK and globally through our streams, tours, cinema programme, radio broadcasts and TV output.

Over the course of the pandemic, we curated the #OurHouseToYourHouse programme - nine live-streamed concerts and 38 productions from our archives. Content was viewed over 15 million times in 183 countries, and broadcast in partnership with the BBC, Sky Arts, Marquee TV and Netflix. During the pandemic we lost £3 in every £5 of our income and we continue to feel the financial impact as we slowly recover.

In September 2021, we returned for our first full Season since 2019, presenting a packed programme of world premieres, landmark new productions and returning favourites. Since then, we have expanded our audience through a flagship Young ROH scheme, returned to live cinema, and extended our national impact through an ambitious curriculum-linked programme for schools, specially designed to ignite creativity, broaden participation and diversify the future of opera and ballet. We are committed to reducing our impact on the environment, and aim to achieve net zero emissions by 2035.