Team Tokyo: behind the scenes with the Royal Opera in Japan

Dancers get last-minute notes backstage during a rehearsal of the performance of Royal Opera's Manon, at the Bunka Kaikan Hall in Tokyo Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert/Action images Director of music Antonio Pappano leads the orchestral rehearsals for Manon inside a near-empty hall Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert The female chorus gets to grips with the new performing conditions – and their male counterparts – in a full dress rehearsal Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert Elsewhere during the rehearsal, dancing girls perform on stage Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert Russian soprano Anna Netrebko has her hat adjusted in her Tokyo dressing room Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert Hair today ... Singer Christophe Mortagne has a fake moustache applied in order to play Guillot De Morfontaine Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert Crowd scene ... Singers waiting to perform Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert Waiting game ... a singer prepares to perform Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert Sets had to be transported all the way from London for this performance Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert High drama ... Tenor Matthew Polenzani in the role of Chevalier Des Grieux, opposite Russian soprano Anna Netrebko as Manon Lescaut Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert Patrolling backstage during the performance of Manon Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert