The Royal Ballet arrives in Australia, direct from London, this winter for an exclusive residency at Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) from Thursday 29 June to Sunday 9 July 2017.

Bringing with them their two award-winning productions, Wayne McGregor's Woolf Works and Christopher Wheeldon's The Winter's Tale, the exclusive season will showcase the extraordinary breadth of the Company's modern repertory, and the virtuosity and theatricality of its dancers.

85 of The Royal Ballet's dancers will travel to Brisbane, with casting for the tour including Principal Dancers Federico Bonelli, Alexander Campbell, Lauren Cuthbertson, Francesca Hayward, Ryoichi Hirano, Sarah Lamb, Steven McRae, Laura Morera, Marianela Nuñez, Natalia Osipova, Thiago Soares, Akane Takada, Edward Watson, Vadim Muntagirov and Zenaida Yanowsky.

Alessandra Ferri and Mara Galeazzi will dance the roles of Mrs Dalloway and Virginia Woolf in Woolf Works. Company members originally from Australia include Principals Steven McRae and Alexander Campbell, First Artist Benjamin Ella and Artists Harry Churches and Calvin Richardson. Full cast schedule below and available to download from the Dropbox link.

Kevin O'Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet comments, “It's a real privilege for us to be invited to QPAC as part of its International Series which has welcomed so many wonderful companies in recent years. Everyone in the Company is very much looking forward to performing in Brisbane, especially as it is the first time we have taken these two very exciting works outside of the Royal Opera House”.

Woolf Works by Royal Ballet Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor is composed of three acts inspired by three of Virginia Woolf's landmark novels; Mrs Dalloway, Orlando and The Waves, as well as a selection of her autobiographical writings that echo aspects of her famously eventful life.

Renowned for his ground-breaking style and cross-discipline collaborations, McGregor's choreography reflects Woolf's modernist rejection of neatly ordered narrative, in favour of heightened, startling and poignant perspectives.

Set to an especially commissioned score by acclaimed British composer Max Richter, the ballet was McGregor's first full-length work for The Royal Ballet and won the 2015 Critics' Circle Award for Best Classical Choreography and the 2016 Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production.

The Winter's Tale by Royal Ballet Associate Artist Christopher Wheeldon was The Royal Ballet's first three-act adaptation of William Shakespeare's work since Kenneth MacMillan's 1965 production of Romeo and Juliet.

The story follows the destruction of a marriage through consuming jealousy, the abandonment of a child and a seemingly hopeless love. Yet, through remorse and regret, the ending is one of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Regarded as one of Wheeldon's finest works and with powerful designs by Bob Crowley and an original score by Joby Talbot, The Winter's Tale was nominated for an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance and won the 2015 Critics' Circle National Dance Award for Best Classical Choreography.

The Company's first visit to Australia took place in 1958 with a six-month tour covering Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane. Performances included Swan Lake and Les Sylphides with ballet luminaries, Svetlana Beriosova, Lynn Seymour and Robert Helpmann. The Company's most recent tour was in 2002. Fifteen years on, The Royal Ballet makes a welcome return with two new masterpieces each receiving their Australian premiere exclusively in Brisbane.

The Royal Ballet's Woolf Works and The Winter's Tale arrive at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC, Brisbane for the 2017 QPAC International Series from 29 June to 9 July 2017. Tickets to The Royal Ballet's Woolf Works and The Winter's Tale are on sale now via qpac.com.au or 136 246.

-ENDS-

PERFORMANCE AND CASTING* SCHEDULE

*Casting is subject to change without notice

QPAC Presents

The Royal Ballet Woolf Works

When:
29 June to 2 July 2017

Where:
Lyric Theatre, QPAC, Cultural Precinct, South Bank, Brisbane

Tickets:
Refer to qpac.com.au for current pricing

Bookings:
qpac.com.au or 136 246

CREATIVE TEAM

Concept, Choreography and Direction                      
Wayne McGregor

Music                                                                     
Max Richter

Designers                                                              
Wayne McGregor, Ciguë, We Not I

Costume Designer                                                   
Moritz Junge

Lighting Designer                                                     
Lucy Carter

Film Designer                                                          
Ravi Deepres

Sound Designer                                                       
Chris Ekers

Make-up Designer                                                    
Kabuki

Dramaturgy                                                             
Uzma Hameed

CASTING

29 June / 30 June /1 July (evening)                          
Alessandra Ferri, Sarah Lamb, Natalia Osipova, Akane Takada, Beatriz Stix-Brunell, Francesca Hayward, Federico Bonelli, Steven McRae, Edward Watson, Gary Avis, Tristan Dyer, Paul Kay, Eric Underwood, Matthew Ball

1 July (matinee) / 2 July                                           
Mara Galeazzi, Itziar Mendizabal, Olivia Cowley, Yuhui Choe, Yasmine Naghdi, Mayara Magri, Ryoichi Hirano, Alexander Campbell, Nicol Edmonds, Tomas Mock, Calvin Richardson, James Hay, David Donnelly, Benjamin Ella, Fernando Montano

PERFORMANCE AND CASTING* SCHEDULE

*Casting is subject to change without notice

QPAC Presents

The Royal Ballet The Winter's Tale

When:
5 to 9 July 2017

Where:
Lyric Theatre, QPAC, Cultural Precinct, South Bank, Brisbane

Tickets:
Refer to qpac.com.au for current pricing

Bookings:
qpac.com.au or 136 246

CREATIVE TEAM

Choreography                                                            
Christopher Wheeldon

Music                                                                          
Joby Talbot

Designer                                                                     
Bob Crowley

Lighting Designer                                                         
Natasha Katz

Projection Designer                                                      
Daniel Brodie

Silk Effects Designer                                                    
Basil Twist

The Winters's Tales is a co-production with The National Ballet of Canada

CASTING

5 July / 7 July (evening) / 9 July (matinee)    

Hermione                                                                   
Lauren Cuthbertson

Leontes                                                                      
Edward Watson

Perdita                                                                        
Sarah Lamb

Florizel                                                                       
Steven McRae

Paulina                                                                       
Zenaida Yanowsky

Polixenes                                                                     
Federico Bonelli

6 July / 8 July (matinee)                     

Hermione                                                                   
Claire Calvert

Leontes                                                                      
Thiago Soares

Perdita                                                                       
Francesca Hayward

Florizel                                                                       
James Hay

Paulina                                                                       
Christina Arestis

Polixenes                                                                     
Ryoichi Hirano

6 July / 8 July (evening)

Hermione                                                                   
Marianela Nuñez

Leontes                                                                      
Bennet Gartside

Perdita                                                                        
Beatriz Stix-Brunell

Florizel                                                                       
Vadim Muntagirov

Paulina                                                                       
Laura Morera

Polixenes                                                                     
Valeri Hristov

Download biographies, background information, casting schedule as a pdf and high resolution images or broadcast quality vision: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ri7r8cjmfb6fvm6/AACqTaEKH-bAcgt8--vAbNQya?dl=0

View and download dancer Biographies: http://www.roh.org.uk/about/the-royal-ballet/dancers

For further information, images or interviews please contact: Inga Tracey, Publicity Manager, QPAC ~ P: (07) 3840 7984, M: 0478 406 459 or E: inga.tracey@qpac.com.au

The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) is located within Queensland's vibrant cultural precinct at South Bank, Brisbane. The Centre is focused on creating a world where the performing arts matter to everyone.

Welcoming around 1.3 million visitors and presenting over 1200 performances annually the QPAC experience extends beyond the theatre with a range of unique spaces to eat, drink, and enjoy free live entertainment. Visit www.qpac.com.au to learn more about Queensland's Centre for live performance and the range of exciting events and initiatives on offer year round. To come a little closer to QPAC find out more about QPAC Membership here.