The old opera house will run a month of weekday matinées, priced below the evening rate. The cheaper seats for the first week are already gone. The house has not seen a daytime audience of that size since the building reopened after restoration.
The programme is a mix of a short opera and two spoken plays, chosen because they can be struck in an afternoon and still leave the stage ready for the evening company. Stage management said that constraint shaped the list more than taste did.
What happens next
Schools have been offered a block on Thursdays. The education officer welcomed it and asked the house to start at one rather than noon, so students are not crossing the city at the end of the morning rush.
Evening subscribers are not being asked to fund the matinées. A separate sponsor, a shipping firm with its name already on a gallery, is covering the gap between the lower ticket and the usual cost.
Taj Today will update this report if the official numbers or the timetable change. Related coverage stays on the Entertainment page.
