Wayne McGregor’s latest work for the Royal Ballet Obsidian Tear is part of a new mixed bill, which will also include a revival of Kenneth MacMillan’s The Invitation and Christopher Wheeldon’s Within the Golden Hour.
Obsidian Tear is the first piece to be created for an all male cast for the renowned ballet company. It is an ensemble piece that is danced by two casts, including the principle dancer for the Royal Ballet Edward Watson as well as rising talent in the company.
McGregor’s piece brings together two works for violin by renowned Finnish composer Esa-Pekka Salonen, who will conduct three performances of this unique collaboration.
The set has been designed by McGregor and the dance will feature fashion direction from Katie Shillingford as well as lighting by Lucy Carter.
Kenneth MacMillan’s The Invitation is being revived by the Royal Ballet for the first time in twenty years. This one-act work is an exploration of emotional boundaries and sexual violence, portraying a young couple’s sexual initiation by an older married couple, ending with the onstage rape of the girl by the older man.It is one of the first pieces that MacMillan created to urge that ballet needed grit and realism.
The final piece in this mixed programme is Christopher Wheeldon’s Within the Golden Hour. It made its debut in the company during the New Year and makes a welcome return now. Set to an original score by Italian minimalist composer Ezio Bosso, it presents a series of intricately crafted duets and ensembles of contrasting colours and tones.
Casting for the programme includes: Reece Clarke, James Hay, Sander Blommaert, Fernando Montaño, Marcelino Sambé, David Donnelly, Benjamin Ella, Lukas Bjørneboe Brændsrød, Edward Watson, Ryoichi Hirano, Alexander Campbell, Luca Acri, Tristan Dyer, Paul Kay, Eric Underwood, Sarah Lamb, Steven McRae, Lauren Cuthbertson, Matthew Golding, Beatriz Stix-Brunell and Vadim Muntagirov.
Obsidian Tear/The Invitation/ Within the Golden Hour will appear at the Royal Opera House from the 28th May to the 11th June.