Keith Warner’s production returns to the Covent Garden stage with four full Cycles next fall, five years after its successful inauguration when Maestro Antonio Pappano rightly joined the ranks of the world’s most highly regarded Wagnerian conductors. Act 1 Tours hosted two groups to the original run and it was universally appreciated. The cast has changed quite significantly, with Bryn Terfel (fresh from The Met’s Ring Cycle), Susan Bullock and Stefan Vinke taking on the key roles of Wotan, Brünnhilde and Siegfried. Alberich is portrayed by Wolfgang Koch and Gerhard Siegel repeats as Mime. Simon O’Neill and Eva-Maria Westbroek reprise the roles of the ill-fated twins Siegmund and Sieglinde, performances that were highly acclaimed during the 2007 run. Veteran bass-baritone John Tomlinson takes on the roles of Hunding in Die Walküre and Hagen in the final cataclysmic opera Götterdämmerung.

Seats for all four Cycles sold out completely within an hour after coming on public sale in late October; however, Act 1 Tours had secured a very limited allocation of seats in the Balcony section of the theater for the second Cycle and we will be hosting a small group throughout the week in London. We are including several group dining occasions and plan to include artists from the cast in one or more of these, if the artists’ schedule permits. Group daytime events will be developed for three of the mornings, either with an art-related emphasis or involving visits to parts of the city that may be “out of the way” or unfamiliar even to regular visitors, leaving a good amount of unstructured time available for personal pursuits. We will also be pleased to advise and arrange ad hoc events throughout the week that may be mutually enjoyable. Due to the program length, and bearing in mind the high level of hotel prices in central London, we have selected the 4* Radisson Edwardian Bloomsbury at 9-14 Bloomsbury Street as the preferred hotel, well situated close to the British Museum and just a short walk to the lively Covent Garden neighborhood, Soho and the Theatre District. The hotel was recently renovated in a contemporary style, with full dining service and complimentary internet access (see radissonedwardian.com and follow the links for more information and photos). The option to stay in an alternative 5* property, The Covent Garden Hotel for example, is available on request. Additional opera and concert performances for the non-Ring performance days will be offered when schedules are announced in 2012.

• Eight nights King Deluxe (doubles) and Queen Double (singles)
  
• Full breakfast daily
  
• Set of four ROH Ring Cycle Balcony seats
  
• Reserved cab transfers to/from the ROH
  
• Five main meals (lunches or dinners)
  
• Three half-day cultural/sightseeing events
  
• Hosted by Act 1 Tours principals Annie & Ian Sale
  

Payment:
A deposit of $2,450 ($1,450 non-refundable) per person is due at registration, $2,000 (non-refundable) on April 1, 2012 and the balance by August 1, 2012.

Insurance:
Trip cancellation insurance is strongly advised to avoid financial loss should the need arise for you to cancel the trip. Certain policies waive pre-existing medical conditions if purchased within 15 days of paying the initial deposit and Act 1 Tours is able to arrange the policy on your behalf at competitive rates.