First glimpse of Wayne McGregor’s new work, Multiverse, for The Royal Ballet

The curtain has just gone down on the Wayne McGregor triple bill at the Royal Opera House, London.

The Royal Ballet is celebrating McGregor's tenth anniversary as its Resident Choreographer with an evening featuring revivals of Chroma and Carbon life and the world premiere of McGregor's new ballet Multiverse, set to a new score by Steve Reich.

Wayne McGregor became Royal Ballet Resident Choreographer in 2006. His dynamic and visceral work has challenged the conventions of classical dance and created a new balletic style through his unique movement language.

Multiverse is his 15^th work for the Company and is set to two scores by Steve Reich.  It's Gonna Rain, written in 1965 was Reich's first major work and uses a looped tape recording of a Pentecostal minister, preaching on the story of Noah. It's Gonna Rain is juxtaposed with Reich's newest score Runner, commissioned especially for Multiverse, which brings together past and present in Reich's 80^th birthday year.

Set and ‘concept' design is by the Pakistani artist Rashid Ran, lighting design by Lucy Carter, costumes by Moritz Junge and the dramaturg is Uzma Hamid.

Multiverse by Wayne McGregor with Paul Kay, Sarah Lamb, Matthew Ball © ROH, 2016, photographed by Andrej Uspenski

Multiverse by Wayne McGregor with Mayara Magri, Lauren Cuthbertson, Francesca Hayward © ROH, 2016, photographed by Andrej Uspenski

Chroma was created in 2006 and took the ballet world by storm. The score, drawn from original music by Joby Talbot and his arrangements of music by American rock band The White Stripes, is combined with stark, minimalist designs by architect John Pawson.

Chroma won the Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production and led to McGregor's appointment as Royal Ballet Resident Choreographer. Since its premiere the ballet has been staged around the world by some of the world's leading dance companies and for this revival Royal Ballet dancers will be joined on stage by dancers from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the first time these two companies have danced together.

Chroma by Wayne McGregor with Rachael McLaren and Steven McRae © ROH, 2016, photographed by Andrej Uspenski

Chroma by Wayne McGregor with Lauren Cuthbertson, Steven McRae and Rachael McLaren © ROH, 2016, photographed by Andrej Uspenski

The triple bill also features the first revival of Carbon Life which premiered in 2012. Fashion and pop collide in Carbon Life with music by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt and fashion designs by Gareth Pugh. Ronson and Wyatt have assembled a group of musician's to perform live on stage to McGregor's choreography which references jazz, disco and hip-hop creating a bold work unlike anything else ever staged by The Royal Ballet.

The Wayne McGregor 10^th anniversary celebrations continue in January with the first revival of Olivier Award winning ballet Woolf Works.

Wayne McGregor Triple Bill
Chroma, Multiverse, Carbon Life
Thursday 10 November – Saturday 19 November
BOX OFFICE: 0207 304 4000 – www.roh.org.uk

CREATIVE TEAM

Chroma

Choreography: Wayne McGregor
Music: Joby Talbot and Jack White III
Orchestration: Christopher Austin
Set Design: John Pawson
Costume Design: Moritz Junge
Lighting Design: Lucy Carter

Multiverse

Choreography: Wayne McGregor
Music – Its Gonna Rain / Runner: Steve Reich
Set and Concept Design: Rashid Rana
Lighting Design: Lucy Carter
Dramaturg: Uzma Hameed

Carbon Life

Choreography: Wayne McGregor
Music: Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt
Artists: Brody Dalle, Rose Elinor Doughall, Jonathan Pierce, Sam Sparrow, Zanna Van Vorstenbosch, Santan Dave
Musicians: Adam Chetwood, Bryan Senti, Jason Silver
Designer: Gareth Pugh
Lighting Design: Lucy Carter
Conducted by Koen Kessels with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

CASTING

Chroma

10 / 14 / 16 / 17 / 19 November

Lauren Cuthbertson, Sarah Lamb, Federico Bonelli, Steven McRae, Calvin Richardson*

Dancers from Alvin Ailey: Jamar Roberts, Yannick Lebrun, Rachel McLaren, Jacqueline Green, Jereboam Bozeman

Multiverse

10 / 16 / 19 November

Lauren Cuthbertson*, Sarah Lamb*, Marianela Nunez*, Francesca Hayward,* Olivia Cowley*, Mayara Magri*, Anna Rose O'Sullivan*, Federico Bonelli*, Steven McRae*, Edward Watson*, Paul Kay*, Eric Underwood*, Matthew Ball*, Calvin Richardson*

14 / 17 November

Tierney Heap*, Akane Takada*,

Beatriz Stix-Brunell*, Itziar Mendizabal*, Leticia Stock*, Yasmine Naghdi*, Hannah Grennell, Tristan Dyer*, Luca Acri*, Edward Watson, Marcelino Sambe*, Ryoichi Hirano*, Benjamin Ella*, James Hay*

Carbon Life

10 / 16 / 19 November

Marianel Nunez, Francesca Hayward*, Akane Takada*, Olivia Cowley, Beatriz Stix-Brunel*l, Edward Watson, Ryoichi Hirano, Tristen Dyer*, Paul Kay, Eric Underwood

14 / 17 November

Claire Calvert*, Anna Rose O'Sullivan*, Leticia Stock*, Yuhui Choe*, Mayara Magri*, Matthew Ball*, Reece Clarke*, Alexander Campbell*, Fernando Montano*, Lukas Bjørneboe Brændsrød*

*Role Debut

Gramilano( Editor )

Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.

His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.