The opera house has written to supporters asking them to pick a prop as one of its schemes to raise £8m in private cash support, reports BBC Online News.

Director Francesca Zambello said the venue needed "even more of your money" to keep standards up. She explained it cost £150 for Macbeth's gold crown, £250 for Othello's sword, £500 for a wig in the production of Queen of Spades and £1,500 for a sedan chair in Don Giovanni.

The ROH already receives a grant of £20m from the government, plus £23m from the box office. It aims to raise £8m from sponsorship.

Two years ago, the government was forced to raise its grant from £15m to £20m, in a bid to ensure the venue reopened after a multi-million pound redevelopment, funded largely by the National Lottery.

But the Covent Garden-based building insisted its appeal to raise £8m from private sources was necessary. Last year it raised £6.5m from private sources.