Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Ballet Review

Last night cinemas all across the world linked up with the Royal Ballet to broadcast a live showing to one of the best Ballet's I have seen in a long time, Chrisopher Wheeldon's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Based on the classic works of Lewis Carroll, this highly magical piece was fantastic. The quirky, clockwork, mechanical score was spellbinding, produced by Joby Talbot, the brains behind the League of Gentlemen theme, Psychoville and the score track
for the brilliant Son of Rambow. As for Wheeldon's choreography... well lets just say they capture the wonderful excitement and mind churning scale of Wonderland's madness.

The story has three settings to it, which are set out quite nicely in the show. The main scenes are: the Oxford Garden Party where Alice meets Lewis, the Hallway of Doors, the home of the Duchess, the Mad Hatter's Tea Party, the Red Queen's garden and finally the Red Queen's court, all which are superbly styled and keep the book's magic alive. My favourite set design would have to be Queen's garden, with the attention to detail to give it both a pretty, yet dangerous feel to each little dance section.

As for the story, the changes they made (slight changes for fans of the original story) are actually really good and I think for a ballet they work, whether in a film it would have the same effect I am not as sure. But the premise is that Alice is a teenage girl who was fallen in love with the garden boy, Jack. In return for a rose of him, Alice gives him a jam tart, however is accused of stealing it by Alice's mother and is sent away. Lewis Carroll, the photographer leads her down a rabbit hole (the White Rabbit) where her curiosity leads her to different scenarios, reuniting her with the knavish Jack of Hearts, pursued by the Queen of Hearts for stealing her jam tarts. As for the rest... well lets just say if you have read the book you'll know what happens. Or do you? That is one spoiler I am not going to reveal.

The performances by all were just stunning, with no weak links in a powerfully moving yet same time comical story. My favourite dancers were probably Jack (Federico Bonelli) or the Red Queen (Tamara Rojo), who stole every scene she was in. Her costume as well was just... breathtaking. The wooden red dress that actually held both her and the King was inspired and I loved it so much. As for the other costumes, they were frankly mesmerising. The playing card tutus, the Mad Hatter's hat and the wooden dress, they were fanominal.

As for the Cheshire Cat, which was compiled of dancers moving around the stage with dismembered part of cat was just fabulous, showing both his powers of evaporation and his feline movements.

Overall, everything was just beautiful: from the Red Queen's dance with her suitors, to the Mad Hatter's tea party, the show with it's score, special effects and dancers won't disappoint... you are in for a treat.