Empire Theatres has added more ballet and opera to its schedule, and under a deal unveiled Tuesday will put five shows from the Royal Opera House in London on its screens between now and June.

Empire, like Cineplex and other theater chains, has recently been running operas and the like from the Metropolitan Opera in New York. The Met shows are on now and usually run until early spring, generally a slow time for movies, though the ROH will see the likes of Carmen and Romeo & Juliet on Empire’s screens well into the high season of summer — on weekends no less. Dates for July and beyond are expected shortly.

These are untested waters, agrees Empire VP of marketing Dean Leland, though he believes ‘the appetite is there’ for more opera and alternative content. ‘The future will write that story, but we’re hopeful,’ he says.

He says the chain has also upgraded some of its projection and other equipment, to meet the ‘very strict compliance issues’ that come with the deal. The shows will play at 18 of Empire’s 51 locations, including Saint John, Halifax, Moncton, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Victoria.

The deal is part of an exclusive agreement signed by the ROH, which is represented by Opus Arte, with DigiScreen in Montreal and The Pillar Group.

The shows start March 30 with a performance of Sylvia, followed by Carmen, Romeo & Juliet, The Tales of Beatrix Potter and The Sleeping Beauty.