We can’t wait: the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, created for the company by Liam Scarlett, will return from October 24 for a new Ryman Healthcare season, running till December 14, in a co-production with Queensland Ballet.
Conceived by one of ballet’s most acclaimed choreographers, A Midsummer Night’s Dream premièred in 2015 to great acclaim, including from this magazine.
We were thrilled by every aspect, from Tracy Grant Lord’s designs, Kendall Smith’s lighting, and the sheer inventiveness by Scarlett, which blended wit while respecting the Shakespeare source material.
Scarlett and RNZB musical director Nigel Gaynor collaborated using a Mendelssohn score, appending various opuses and incidental music to cover a full-length ballet.
For 2024, Hamish McKeich conducts in Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland, featuring Orchestra Wellington, the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, and the Auckland Philharmonia respectively.
RNZB artistic director Ty King-Wall said, ‘What a treat it is for us to be bringing our sparkling 2024 season to a close with A Midsummer Night’s Dream. There is so much to behold and to treasure in this production, for children and children at heart alike. Tracy Grant Lord’s set is a marvel that makes you want to jump up out of your seat and explore, and Liam Scarlett’s marvellously inventive, intricate and richly layered choreography brings this magical array of characters to life.’
Performances take place in Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Palmerston North, Napier, Rotorua, Auckland, and Takapuna, with the première at the St James Theatre in Wellington on October 24. More information can be found at www.rnzb.org.nz.
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