The Royal Opera House is delighted to announce that over 14,400 tickets have been sold through its #ThankYouNHS programme – a suite of activities, partnerships and heavily discounted performances for NHS workers, designed to thank them for their extraordinary work over the pandemic and beyond.

The programme began in June 2021 with Puccini’s La bohème, sung to an auditorium of staff from ROH’s nearest hospitals: Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, and University College Hospital London. Over the next year, NHS workers were invited to special Family Sunday events, the 2021 Paul Hamlyn Christmas Treat and a number of dedicated performances in Covent Garden. In a first for the ROH, the Royal Opera Chorus also partnered with more than 30 hospital radio stations across the country, from Cornwall to the Isle of Man, to share highlights from the opera repertory with thousands of patients, doctors and hospital workers. An hour of specially recorded songs – including the famous ‘Habanera’ from Bizet’s Carmen, and extracts from Mozart’s La clemenza de Tito, Così fan tutte, and Verdi’s Rigoletto – was broadcast in May 2021.

The programme culminated on Saturday 17 December 2022 with this year’s Paul Hamlyn Christmas Treat – a day of pop-up events and activities generously supported by The Helen Hamlyn Trust, in memory of the late Paul Hamlyn, designed specifically to introduce new audiences to the Royal Opera House. This year’s celebration included Ballet Barre workshops, demonstrations by members of The Royal Ballet School, storytelling activities, and Q&A sessions with dancers from The Royal Ballet. The full day of entertainment finished with The Nutcracker, performed that afternoon by a stellar cast of dancers. It was offered to nurses through Nurses’ Trusts, with tickets costing as little as £1.

Professor Nina Morgan, Regional Chief Nurse, NHS England – Midlands, said:

‘Thank you so much for the honour that you gave me by inviting me, and for the gratitude that was shown in such a wonderful way to our NHS nurses, midwives and healthcare support workers.’

Jackie Hanson, Regional Chief Nurse, NHS North West, said:

‘It was a privilege to have been invited and able to attend the event, and see the wonderful performance of The Nutcracker, which was dedicated to nurses across the country. Please pass my heartfelt thanks to Lady Helen Hamlyn and the staff at the Royal Opera House for a beautifully organised day which paid tribute to nurses across the 7 regions. Those nursing staff and their families attending were visibly thrilled and thankful for the opportunity, as well as honoured to represent fellow nursing staff. The excitement and then impact within the venue was palpable. A truly memorable event.’