Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is to ballet what Pixar and DreamWorks movies are to cinema.
Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is to ballet what Pixar and DreamWorks movies are to cinema. It takes a well-known children’s story and peppers it with references for an adult audience. And, like the Shrek saga or the recent Tangled, it combines storybook conventions with the latest performing trends, such as stunning visual effects and that episodic structure most musicals thrive on.
Indeed, there were many moments when I expected characters to warble. Alas, they did not, even though singing would have been an ideal complement to the razzle-dazzle of the performance. A lot of unexciting choreography is cleverly concealed by John Driscoll’s and Gemma Carrington’s breathtaking projections, as well as by Bob Crowley’s superb designs, Toby Olié’s beguiling puppetry, Natasha Katz’s powerful lighting, and Simon Russell Beale’s presence as a great panto-like Duchess.
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