Swish of the Curtain

This Royal Opera House production is a feast for the eyes. Christopher Wheeldon (choreographer of ‘The Winter’s Tale) has done a superb job. Joby Talbot’s exceptional score was dramatic and exciting. Bob Crowley’s colourful and original set and costumes bring the well-loved story of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ to life.

Although this ballet is true to the book, it has imaginative twists that I greatly enjoyed. Who has heard of a tap-dancing Mad Hatter, a duchess in a butcher’s shop or an exotic caterpillar who resembles a genie?

To add to this, the show has a very clever beginning. Alice is at a party hosted by her parents, Mr and Mrs Liddell. Mr Liddell is Dean of Christ Church College, Oxford. Lewis Carroll (the author of the book and friend of Mr Liddell) is at this party. The show explains how the idea of  ‘Alice in Wonderland’ is invented. Mr Carroll is entertaining the three Liddell girls – Alice, Edith and Lorina – and Alice inspired the classic story.

When she dozes off, all of the guests turn into the wild creatures of Wonderland in a fantastical dream. The Queen of Hearts is perhaps my favourite character. She is pushed around in an enormous plastic carapace, looking very angry at everyone. When the case was opened she was surprisingly petite. She is, of course, Alice’s mother! I loved the caterpillar’s dance. His body could move in amazing ways which really resembled the undulations of an actual caterpillar.

This is my favourite ballet of all time.