"MADDADDAM"
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
November 30, 2022
by Denise Sum
copyright © 2022 by Denise Sum
Wayne McGregor's "MADDADDAM", a new work inspired by Margaret Atwood's prescient MaddAddam trilogy (published between 2003 and 2013), has been many years in the making. In an alarming example of life imitating art, the premiere of this dystopian ballet set during a global pandemic was delayed by an actual global pandemic. Of her frightening work of speculative fiction, Atwood has written "it does not include any technologies or biobeings that do not already exist, are not under construction, or are not possible in theory." Lest audience members get too comfortable distancing themselves from the horrific hypothetical scenarios of "MADDADDAM", the message that they could occur in the near future is sobering. It is heavy and dark content, hardly an obvious choice for a classical ballet company. Then again, McGregor has shown with "Woolf Works" that he is not one to shy away from complex, literary material. A large scale, big budget work, "MADDADDAM" brings together many repeat collaborators of McGregor in this joint production between the National Ballet of Canada and the Royal Ballet. It features an original score by Max Richter, design by We Not I and film design by Ravi Deepres. British designer Gareth Pugh created brilliantly imaginative costumes. Atwood is listed as "creative consultant", but has said in interviews that she gave McGregor and his team carte blanche in reimagining her books for the stage.
Artists of the Ballet in Wayne McGregor's "MADDADDAM". Photo © Karolina Kuras.