September 18th: The Day the Royal Opera House Opens

London's Royal Opera House opened for a second time on September 18th 1809, after the destructive fire of the previous year. Known simply as the Theatre Royal back then, the building was situated in Covent Garden, London and was home to the Royal Opera House, the Royal Ballet and the opera's house Orchestra. The original Theatre Royal had its very first performance in 1728 and was primarily a playhouse, however the Royal Ballet soon began performances of their own.

Covent Garden's Royal Opera House present day

   After the disastrous fire in 1808, the second Theatre Royal opened a year later with an opening performance of Shakespeare's Macbeth. Although the theatre was a somewhat luxurious place to go and enjoy the latest productions of plays and ballets, it was also the prime place to be seen. Keeping up appearances was of the utmost importance during this time period, and most people attended the theatre simply to show their face and prove that they were worthy of being there. 
   Unfortunately, the superstition and bad luck surrounding the play of Macbeth seemed to have stayed with the Royal Opera House, as it suffered another fire in March 1856. However work began on the reconstruction of the Opera House the following year, and since then has not been destroyed entirely. The theatre has been improved more recently due to its old age, though it remains one of the most prestigious theatres in the world. Have you been to the Royal Opera House?