February 2020 Ballet World Premiere Wayne McGregor and Margaret Atwood present MADDADDAM, a major international collaboration between The Royal Ballet and The National Ballet of Canada
Toronto premiere November 2020 / London premiere 2022
In this major new international collaboration between The Royal Ballet and The National Ballet of Canada , Royal Ballet Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor brings Margaret Atwood ’s post-apocalyptic vision to the stage in a three–act ballet, MADDADDAM based on the writer’s acclaimed trilogy of novels: Oryx and Crake, The Year of the Flood and MaddAddam . Themes of extinction and invention, hubris and humanity are spliced together with aspects of Atwood’s non-fiction writings and political voice.
Featuring a specially commissioned score from Max Richter , lighting by Lucy Carter, design by We Not I , film by Ravi Deepres , and dramaturgy by Uzma Hameed, this world premiere reunites the creative collaborators from McGregor’s Olivier Award winning ballet Woolf Works .
Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet comments ’Wayne’s genius in bringing together some of the most exciting creative forces in art today reveals itself again with this latest venture. Collaborating with Margaret Atwood, author of some of
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the most haunting and potent writing in contemporary literature, is a wonderful prospect for our next co-production with The National Ballet of Canada. It’s a dazzling opportunity for dancers from both of our companies to relish.’
Karen Kain, Artistic Director for The National Ballet of Canada adds ‘I am thrilled The National Ballet of Canada will premiere Wayne McGregor’s exciting new work, MADDADDAM, our third co-production with The Royal Ballet, in November 2020. I have long admired Wayne for his intelligent, visually stunning and highly physical work that continually pushes the boundaries of creativity. He has a perfect collaborator in Margaret Atwood. Together they are creating a work firmly rooted in the Canadian landscape exploring themes of extinction and invention, hubris and humanity and activism.’
ENDS
Images can be downloaded from the following link https://we.tl/t-Q6B3aJGI8J
Notes to Editors
MADDADDAM
November 2020 The National Ballet of Canada, Toronto
The Royal Ballet, Royal Opera House, London 2022 Performance dates to be announced in due course
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Creative Team
MADDADDAM
Choreography Wayne McGregor Music Max Richter
Designer We Not I
Lighting Designer Lucy Carter
Film Designer Ravi Deprees
Dramaturgy Uzma Hameed
Royal Ballet Press Office For further information or interview requests please contact Ashley Woodfield, Head of Ballet Press Tel – 0207 212 9165 / Mobile – 07984513676 [email protected]
National Ballet of Canada Press Office Catherine Chang, Senior Communications Manager Tel – 416 345 9686 x 302 [email protected]
About The Royal Ballet Under the directorship of Kevin O’HareO’Hare, The Royal Ballet unites tradition and innovation in world-class performances, and is a driving force in the development of ballet as an art form. Based at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, it brings together today’s most dynamic and versatile dancers with a world-class orchestra and leading choreographers, composers, conductors, directors and creative teams to share awe-inspiring theatrical experiences with diverse audiences worldwide. The Company’s extensive repertory embraces 19th-century classics, the singular legacy of works by Founder Choreographer Frederick Ashton and Principal Choreographer Kenneth MacMillan and the compelling new canon of work including pieces by Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregorMcGregor, Artistic Associate Christopher WheeldonWheeldon and Artist in Residence Liam ScarlettScarlett.
About National Ballet of Canada
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One of the top international ballet companies, The National Ballet of Canada was founded in 1951 by Celia Franca. A company of 70 dancers with its own orchestra, the National Ballet has been led by Artistic Director Karen Kain, one of the greatest ballerinas of her generation, since 2005. Renowned for its diverse repertoire, the company performs traditional full-length classics, embraces contemporary work and encourages the creation of new ballets as well as the development of Canadian choreographers. The company’s repertoire includes works by Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, John Cranko, Rudolf Nureyev, John Neumeier, William Forsythe, James Kudelka, Wayne McGregor, Alexei Ratmansky, Crystal Pite, Christopher Wheeldon, Aszure Barton, Guillaume Côté and Robert Binet. The National Ballet tours in Canada, the US and internationally with appearances in Paris, London, Moscow and St. Petersburg, Hamburg, New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and San Francisco. national.ballet.ca
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