The Royal Ballet, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, ROH
The Royal Ballet brings back Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, choreographer Christopher Wheeldon's colourful adaptation of the Lewis Carroll children's classic
RB, Francesca Hayward & James Hay in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland © 2016 ROH Photo: Bill Cooper
Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, with its unforgettable characters and nonsensical humour, is one of the classics of children's literature; it is to choreographer Christopher Wheeldon's credit that together with his equally daring collaborators he has been able to grasp the book's essence and its oddities and turn them into an exuberant ballet capable of entertaining both children and adults.
Its 2011 premiere met with general acclaim, though some did complain it was more of a show than a ballet, with its tap dancing Mad Hatter, War Horse style puppetry and profuse use of digital projections; but all that adds to, rather than detract from the general impact of the work.
The shaping of the narrative is clear and very clever. An added prologue anchors the factual Alice Liddell in her wealthy Oxford home, where her parents' guests — including Lewis Carroll — reappear transformed in her dream. The unfair dismissal of the gardener's boy, Jack, for stealing jam tarts, sets up the Wonderland courtroom scene where Alice defends the Knave of Hearts — and falls in love with him in the course of a Nutcracker-inspired pas de deux.
Wheeldon worked with his regular collaborators: Joby Talbot's custom-made score is a storming piece of work spiced with exotic woodwind, James Bond brass, and an ironmongers' worth of percussion. Bob Crowley appears to have delighted in producing designs that often draw 'oohs' and 'aahs' from the audience; John Driscoll and Gemma Carrington's inspired projections resolve the most problematic aspects of the plot, such as Alice's plunge down the rabbit hole; and Natasha Katz's lighting design helps create the right atmosphere, be it in Alice's garden or in the Red Queen's parlour.
Wheeldon's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland features in two tranches in The Royal Ballet's 2024/25 season: the first, for which tickets are on sale now, runs from 28 Sept to 1 Nov 2024; the second from 13 June to 3 July 2025 (box office opens 19 March). In such an extended run there will be a large variety of casts, with a few performances offering young dancers their first chance to dance lead roles. On opening night, principal Francesca Hayward dances Alice with First Soloist James Hay as Jack.
Not entirely coincidentally, the ROH second stage, the Linbury, opens its new season a hip hop reading of Lewis Carroll's work in Kate Prince's The Mad Hatter Tea Party for her excellent ZooNation company. Why not book for both?
Its 2011 premiere met with general acclaim, though some did complain it was more of a show than a ballet, with its tap dancing Mad Hatter, War Horse style puppetry and profuse use of digital projections; but all that adds to, rather than detract from the general impact of the work.
The shaping of the narrative is clear and very clever. An added prologue anchors the factual Alice Liddell in her wealthy Oxford home, where her parents' guests — including Lewis Carroll — reappear transformed in her dream. The unfair dismissal of the gardener's boy, Jack, for stealing jam tarts, sets up the Wonderland courtroom scene where Alice defends the Knave of Hearts — and falls in love with him in the course of a Nutcracker-inspired pas de deux.
Wheeldon worked with his regular collaborators: Joby Talbot's custom-made score is a storming piece of work spiced with exotic woodwind, James Bond brass, and an ironmongers' worth of percussion. Bob Crowley appears to have delighted in producing designs that often draw 'oohs' and 'aahs' from the audience; John Driscoll and Gemma Carrington's inspired projections resolve the most problematic aspects of the plot, such as Alice's plunge down the rabbit hole; and Natasha Katz's lighting design helps create the right atmosphere, be it in Alice's garden or in the Red Queen's parlour.
Wheeldon's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland features in two tranches in The Royal Ballet's 2024/25 season: the first, for which tickets are on sale now, runs from 28 Sept to 1 Nov 2024; the second from 13 June to 3 July 2025 (box office opens 19 March). In such an extended run there will be a large variety of casts, with a few performances offering young dancers their first chance to dance lead roles. On opening night, principal Francesca Hayward dances Alice with First Soloist James Hay as Jack.
Not entirely coincidentally, the ROH second stage, the Linbury, opens its new season a hip hop reading of Lewis Carroll's work in Kate Prince's The Mad Hatter Tea Party for her excellent ZooNation company. Why not book for both?
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| What | The Royal Ballet, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, ROH |
| Where | Royal Opera House, Bow Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DD | MAP |
| Nearest tube | Covent Garden (underground) |
| When |
28 Sep 24 – 06 Jul 25, 19:30 Mats available Dur.: 2 hours 50 mins inc two intervals |
| Price | £10-£190 |
| Website | Click here to book |