Royal Opera House launches new iPhone game

LONDON, UK: London's Royal Opera House on Thursday launched a new game for iPhone users that casts them as a stressed out stage manager struggling to produce a show in time for the overture.

'The Show Must Go On' is the famous opera house's latest initiative to engage a wider audience and branch out into new media.

Tony Hall, chief executive of the Royal Opera House, called the game "a very logical step for us as we increasingly develop our content available across multiple digital platforms."

The Show Must Go On has been developed by gaming company Hide & Seek and is divided into five stages.

The player must retrieve the sheet music, assemble props, build the set, light the production and dress the chorus with just moments to go before show time.

The game's soundtrack features highlights from some of the ballet and opera worlds' most famous works -- 'The Marriage of Figaro,' 'Swan Lake,' 'The Nutcracker' and 'Carmen.'

Among the potential pitfalls for the hapless producer are a cannon going off in the prima ballerina's ear and the cast appearing on stage only half dressed.

In a review of the game, the Daily Telegraph's Shane Richmond rated The Show Must Go On as three-and-a-half stars out of five, and singled out the soundtrack from EMI Classics.

"The game has a pleasant cartoony style, with some nice animations in between games, but it's the music that really sets the app apart from the competition," he wrote.

The Show Must Go On has been designed for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch devices and costs 69 pence ($1.10) for the first week as an introductory offer.