People like to see the classics when they go to the ballet, your Swan Lake, your Giselle and your Nutcracker sell out regularly, but the more modern works just don't get the, excuse the term, 'bums on seats'. So it's only once in blue moon that the Royal Ballet commissions a new score for a full length ballet. But for the first time in 20 years they have. Off Joby Talbotm, and it's a score for
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Christopher Wheeldon is the lucky choreographer given this rare opportunity to choreograph a whole new ballet for the company, to a scenario by Nicholas Wright – who's done quite a lot of impressive work adapting stories for stage, including the National Theatre's recent production of 'Hist Dark Materials'. Wheeldon's past, short, ballets have been more neo-classical than narrative, so we can expect some less than literal interpretations to some of the story – there's even suggestions that the production will have a Victorian overtone to it, referencing the age when the story was penned for curious Alice, by Lewis Carroll.
Alice is a story that most of the audience will know well, and it's also one that is likely to translate to the ballet stage well – the wonderful larger than life characters seem almost ready to dance off the pages of the book. Most of the company seems to be involved as well, Tamara Rojo, Marianela Nunez, Sarah Lamb, Edward Watson and Rupert Pennefather are all listed on the flyer.
