Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Follow Alice down the rabbit hole into the fantastical world of Wonderland. Christopher Wheeldon’s ballet combines theatrical verve with thrilling choreography.
Photos
Introduction
At a garden party on a sunny afternoon, Alice is surprised to see a mysterious white rabbit. When she follows it down a hole, things get curiouser and curiouser…
News and features
Cast changes: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland on 11 and 13 April
Roles of Alice and Jack/Knave of Hearts to change.
Cast changes: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland on 6 April
Roles of Alice and Jack/Knave of Hearts to change for matinee performance.
Your reaction: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in cinemas
Audience tweets from the live relay of Christopher Wheeldon's ballet.
Pointe Shoes Room: A look at the caterpillar’s feet in Alice
Eight dancers wear custom-made shoes each hand-encrusted with 365 crystals.
Q&A: Yuhui Choe of The Royal Ballet
The First Soloist answers your questions on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, favourite works and Gangnam Style.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland-themed tea parties available for matinee performances
Menu includes Queen of Hearts Jam Tart, Cheshire Cat Macaroons and ‘Drink Me’ Lemonade.
Background
Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland arrived on the stage in 2011 with a burst of colour, theatrical magic and inventive choreography. It was The Royal Ballet’s first full-length work since 1995 and was instantly acclaimed as a classic. Joby Talbot’s score combines sweeping melodies, which gesture to ballet scores of the 19th century, with contemporary effects. Bob Crowley’s wildly imaginative sets and costumes draw on puppetry, projections and masks to bring Wonderland to life.
Alice encounters a cast of extraordinary characters down the rabbit hole: from the highly-strung Queen of Hearts, who performs a hilarious rendition of the famous Rose Adagio from The Sleeping Beauty; to dancing playing cards; a sinuous caterpillar and a tap-dancing Mad Hatter. There is a love narrative for Alice and the Knave of Hearts, and they dance a tender pas de deux at the close of Act II. But the ballet does not avoid the darker undercurrents of Lewis Carroll’s story – a nightmarish kitchen, an eerily disembodied Cheshire Cat and an unhinged tea party are all created in vivid detail.
Co-production with
National Ballet of Canada
Running times
About 2 hours and 55 minutes including 2 intervals. Act One will last for about 47 minutes followed by a 20 minute interval. Act Two will last for about 29 minutes followed by a 25 minute interval. Act Three will last for about 45 minutes.
Please note
On 21 and 28 March there will be cameras filming in the auditorium.
Credits
| Choreography | Christopher Wheeldon |
| Music | Joby Talbot |
| Orchestrated by | Christopher Austin |
| Orchestrated by | Joby Talbot |
| Designs | Bob Crowley |
| Scenario | Nicholas Wright |
| Lighting design | Natasha Katz |
| Projection design | John Driscoll |
| Projection design | Gemma Carrington |
| Assistant Choreographer | Jacquelin Barrett |
| Ballet Master | Christopher Saunders |
| Dance Notator | Anna Treviet |
| Dance Notator | Gemma Carrington |
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Related links
- www.nytimes.com ‘Alice in Wonderland’ at the Royal Ballet - Review - NYTimes.com
- www.independent.co.uk Lauren Cuthbertson: Royal Ballet's first Alice dances into prima ballerina wonderland - Profiles, People - The Independent
- www.guardian.co.uk Alice's Adventures in Wonderland – review | Stage | The Guardian
- www.telegraph.co.uk Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Royal Opera House: review - Telegraph
- www.bbc.co.uk BBC News - Alice ballet brings magic to Royal Opera House
- www.youtube.com Alice's Adventures in Wonderland YouTube Playlist
- video.perthnow.com.au Video: Royal Ballet back after 15 years
- www.thisislondon.co.uk Alice's Adventures In Wonderland fizzes off the page to the stage | Theatre
