Becoming the Queen of Hearts - The Royal Ballet s Alice s Adventures in Wonderland

The Alice s Adventures in Wonderland cast and creative team give an insight into creating the much-loved character of the Queen of Hearts. Royal Ballet Principals Zenaida Yanowsky, Sarah Lamb and Lauren Cuthbertson, Ballet Master Christopher Saunders and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon give a glimpse into the rehearsal studio into the creation of a modern classic. 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. Find out more at http://www.roh.org.uk/productions/alices-adventures-in-wonderland-by-christopher-wheeldon