MADDADDAM
The Royal Ballet and Opera
- Date night
- Great for groups
- Family-friendly
- Date
- Mon, 8 Mar 2027
- Time
- 19:30
- Venue
- Royal Opera House
- City
- London
- Tickets
- See booking site
You'll be taken to the ensemble's official site.
Summary
The Royal Ballet performs Maddaddam, a production based on Margaret Atwood’s dystopian trilogy, at the Royal Opera House.
Why it's fantastic
Wayne McGregor transforms Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novels into a visceral physical language for this three-act production. It is a rare chance to see a literary epic reimagined through the raw athleticism of contemporary dance, where the choreography examines the very boundaries of human and animal nature.
Our guide to this performance
What you'll hear
We are preparing for a significant three-act work that translates a complex literary trilogy into a physical landscape. You will hear a score that supports a narrative focused on a dystopian future, exploring the thin line between human beings and the natural world. The choreography is designed to be visceral and athletic, using the bodies of the dancers to represent both the fragility of life and the harshness of a transformed environment. As the performance unfolds, listen for how the music builds a sense of unease and wonder, reflecting the themes of survival found in the original books. You should watch for the specific ways the dancers shift their movement styles to portray different species and states of being. The evening is shaped as a full-length epic, allowing the story to breathe across multiple movements, moving from the collapse of a known world into a strange, speculative future.
Who's performing
The Royal Ballet and Opera, based at their historic home in Covent Garden, brings this production to the stage. This ensemble is globally recognised for maintaining a rigorous classical tradition while being a primary force in commissioning new contemporary work. They are known for their technical precision and the ability to handle demanding, large-scale productions that require both stamina and expressive depth. Whether performing nineteenth-century staples or modern collaborations, the company focuses on high production values and a distinctively British style of dramatic storytelling through movement.
Planning your evening
This performance takes place at the Royal Opera House in London on 8 March 2027. Given its three-act structure and the depth of the source material, you should expect a full evening at the theatre. The venue typically follows a smart-casual dress convention, though many guests choose to dress more formally for evening ballet performances. This production is well-suited if you enjoy narrative-driven contemporary dance or are interested in how modern literature can be adapted for the stage without words. There are no surtitles as this is a dance work.
Written by the Bravura editorial team from the ensemble's published programme and venue information. We don't reproduce copy from box-office sites. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
