The Royal Opera House broadens its appeal today with a surprising foray into the world of gaming. Determined to move with technologically savvy times, the ROH launches ‘The Show Music Go On’, a game for iOS devices, including iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

The game, in collaboration with developers Hide&Seek, invites the player to take on the role of stage manager. Choosing from one of four productions – Swan Lake, The Marriage of Figaro, Carmen and The Nutcracker – the player must gather the music, assemble props, build the set, light the stage and dress the chorus. The show is then performed as a specially created animation, reflecting the success (or failure) of the player.

The game features sound effects captured on location at the Royal Opera House, and a soundtrack gathered from recordings from EMI Classics, including performances from Sir Simon Rattle and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. The soundtrack has been released as an exclusive iTunes album.

‘The creative industries play a very significant part in the UK economy - second only to finance - and the UK is renowned for its expertise in gaming,’ said ROH chief executive Tony Hall. ‘Our move into gaming and the bringing together of what may appear to be very different players within the creative industries is very exciting for me. It’s also a very logical step for us as we increasingly develop our content available across multiple digital platforms’.