Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Photo © ROH/Johan Persson, 2011
"A big artful piece of popular theater. The production is in it's own way, something of a modern day classic."
-Debra Craine… The Times
"Absurdist, dark and almost beyond praise, Christopher Wheeldon's take on Lewis Carroll is a dazzling extravaganza."
-Laura Thompson… The Telegraph
The Story
Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland burst onto the stage in 2011 at Royal Opera House Covent Garden in an explosion of colour, stage magic and inventive, sophisticated choreography. Joby Talbot’s score combines contemporary soundworlds with sweeping melodies that gesture to ballet scores of the 19th century. Bob Crowley’s wildly imaginative, eye-popping designs draw on everything from puppetry to projections to make Wonderland wonderfully real.
Alice encounters a cast of extraordinary and instantly recognizable characters, from the highly strung Queen of Hearts – who performs a hilarious send-up of The Sleeping Beauty’s famous Rose Adage – to a playing card corps de ballet, a sinuous caterpillar and a tap-dancing Mad Hatter. But the ballet does not avoid the darker undercurrents of Lewis Carroll’s story: a nightmarish kitchen, an eerily disembodied Cheshire Cat and the unhinged tea party are all here in vivid detail. The delicious result shows The Royal Ballet at its best, bringing together world-class dance with enchanting family entertainment.
Creative Team
Choreography
Christopher Wheeldon
Music
Joby Talbot
Orchestration
Christopher Austin and Joby Talbot
Assistant to the Choreographer
Jacquelin Barrett
Designer
Bob Crowley
Scenario
Nicholas Wright
Lighting Designer
Natasha Katz
Projection Designers
Jon Driscoll and Gemma Carrington
Original Sound Designer
Andrew Bruce
World Premiere: February 28, 2011, The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera House, London, England.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a co-production of The Royal Ballet and The National Ballet of Canada
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is currently in repertoire at:
Royal Danish Ballet, Denmark, Copenhagen
The Mariinsky Theatre, Russia, St. Petersburg
Bayerisches Staatsballett, Germany, Munich
The Australian Ballet, Australia, Melbourne
Royal Swedish Ballet, Sweden, Stockholm
Royal Danish Ballet, Denmark, Copenhagen
New National Theatre Foundation, Japan, Tokyo
The Royal Ballet, United Kingdom, London
National Ballet of Canada, Canada, Toronto