\paperw3360 \margr0\margl0\ATXph16380 \plain \fs20 \pard\tx3255\tx6525\tx9780\ATXts240\ATXbrdr0 \f1 \fs22 The Royal Opera House at \b \cf4 \ATXht11231000 Covent Garden\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 is the home of the Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet Companies. With its opulent red, white and gold interiors, it conjures up an image of considerable glamour. Although tickets are expensive and the cheaper ones tend to sell out well in advance, o
pera buffs can usually obtain standing passes right up to the time of the performance. Operas are performed in the original language, with English translations in surtitles above the stage. Some productions are also relayed on giant screens set up in t
he piazza for the benefit of a huge non-paying audience. The Royal Opera House, like many others of its kind, tends to coproduce with foreign opera houses, thereby sharing the enormous costs incurred by this genre of entertainment. Visiting opera and b
