Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a ballet in three acts by Christopher Wheeldon with a scenario by Nicholas Wright. It was commissioned by The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden, and the National Ballet of Canada and had its world premiere on Monday, 28 February 2011. The music by Joby Talbot is the first full-length score (1 hour 40 minutes) for the Royal Ballet in 20 years.
Contents
Artistic philosophy
The work is based on Lewis Carroll's well-known children's story Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Wheeldon was attracted by the physicality of the characters and the perfect central role for a ballerina: "The Royal Ballet already has a wealth of full-blooded ballets. I wanted to create something lighter and more friendly." He chose Lauren Cuthbertson for the lead role of Alice as someone who could "captivate the audience and make them believe in Alice." As for the music, Talbot explained that he "wanted to find a new sound, the right timbre for Wonderland." His orchestral score has a large percussion section and four female voices.
Reviews of premiere
The premiere was well received by the audience although some reviewers commented on an excessively long first act. Wheeldon's choreography sometimes had to fight for attention, given all the special staging effects. Joby Talbot's exuberant score was credited with providing sophisticated, danceable music with vividly descriptive melodies. Lauren Cuthbertson's performance was said to be "alert, funny and deliciously un-twee". Writing in 'The Daily Telegraph', Sarah Crompton commented: "Wheeldon’s Alice will undoubtedly be hugely popular; it’s colourful, enjoyable fun. But it needed a little more dance and a little less action to take its place alongside those English story ballets the choreographer himself so admires.".
Choreographic development
By 2012, Wheeldon had changed the structure of the ballet so that it consisted of three acts instead of the original two and had inserted an additional pas de deux for Alice and the knave.
Characters
Oxford Characters
Alice: the original protagonist in Lewis Carroll's novel, in which she is a child; in the ballet she is a teenager beginning her first romance.
Henry Liddell and his wife: Alice's parents; her father is the vice-chancellor of Oxford.
Lewis Carroll: the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Lorina and Edith: Alice's two sisters.
Jack: the gardener's boy Alice falls in love with, who is sent away after being accused of stealing a jam tart.
Wonderland Characters
The Queen of Hearts: a homicidal monarch wearing blood red and terrorizing everyone in sight. Played by the same dancer who plays Alice's mother.
The King of Hearts: Played by the same dancer who plays Alice's father.
White Rabbit: the Queen's assistant, frightened of his employer. Portrayed by the same dancer who plays Lewis Carroll.
Knave of Hearts: one of a pack of playing cards, he is accused of stealing jam tarts and stands trial. Played by the same dancer who plays Jack.
The Duchess: a lady of Wonderland who is invited to play croquet with the Queen.
The Frog: butler to the Duchess.
The Fish: letter-carrier of Wonderland.
The Cheshire Cat: a mysterious grinning cat whom Alice asks for directions.
Mad Hatter, March Hare & Dormouse: three characters whom Alice encounters having a tea party.
Caterpillar: an exotic insect who gives Alice a piece of hallucinogenic mushroom to eat.
Premiere cast
28 February 2011: