Sweden Opera stages matchmaking ballet for singles

STOCKHOLM, Sep 5 (Reuters) The Royal Swedish Opera, on the hunt for new audiences in the Europe's most singles-heavy city, is setting aside seats to Shakespeare's greatest romance just for them -- and throwing in some dating advice on the side.

The unattached in Stockholm, where 60 per cent of all households are one-person, have snapped up an allotment of singles-only tickets to a ballet based on Romeo and Juliet.

''We want to give those looking for a partner a helping hand and at the same time introduce our art form to a new audience,'' Michael Persson, sales manager at the opera, told Reuters.

''Tickets are selling like hot cakes.'' The opera, which also boasts Verdi's La Traviata and Mozart's Rigoletto on its repertoire, has hired a relations expert to offer dating advice before each performance.

''Of course we hope that this audience will return -- as singles or even as couples,'' Persson said.

Reuters CS DB0911