When Tony Hall, the ROH’s executive director, came on stage to welcome the audience, he was also welcoming those watching the show live in 113 cinemas across the UK and abroad – a first for the ROH. The point was, he told me, to “start the season with almost an anti-gala, celebrating the new season with people who haven’t visited before”. He added: “This is not a stunt. We want it to be something long-lasting.”