Christopher Wheeldon’s versatility as a choreographer is showcased in a new mixed programme – Ballet to Broadway – where sensuous contemporary ballet meets the energy of musical theatre. Luminescent and shimmering, Fool’s Paradise marked the first of his many collaborations with composer Joby Talbot.
Three works follow, new to The Royal Ballet.
Recognising Wheeldon’s extraordinary success in musical theatre, the Company performs the ballet from his Tony Award-winning musical An American in Paris, set to Gershwin’s jazzy melodies. Its zesty spirit is contrasted with two duets of intimacy and yearning. The wistful songs of Joni Mitchell set the scene for The Two of Us, while the music of Keaton Henson is used in the tender duet from Us that Wheeldon created for BalletBoyz in 2017.
Ballet to Broadway | Dates & Casting
9 May 2025
Friday, 7pm
FOOL’S PARADISE
Akane Takada, William Bracewell, Marianela Nuñez, Lukas B. Brændsrød
THE TWO OF US
Lauren Cuthbertson, Calvin Richardson, Julia Fordham
US
Matthew Ball, Joseph Sissens
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS
Francesca Hayward, Cesar Corrales
13 May 2025
Tuesday, 7.30pm
FOOL’S PARADISE
Ella Newton Severgnini, Vadim Muntagirov, Melissa Hamilton, Reece Clarke
THE TWO OF US
Fumi Kaneko, Francisco Serrano, Julia Fordham
US
Joshua Junker, Liam Boswell
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS
Anna Rose O’Sullivan, Joseph Sissens
16 May 2025
Friday, 7.30pm – Camera Filming
FOOL’S PARADISE
Akane Takada, William Bracewell, Marianela Nuñez, Lukas B. Brændsrød
THE TWO OF US
Lauren Cuthbertson, Calvin Richardson, Julia Fordham
US
Matthew Ball, Joseph Sissens
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS
Francesca Hayward, Cesar Corrales
19 May 2025
Monday, 7.30pm
FOOL’S PARADISE
Ella Newton Severgnini, Vadim Muntagirov, Melissa Hamilton, Reece Clarke
THE TWO OF US
Fumi Kaneko, Francisco Serrano, Julia Fordham
US
Joshua Junker, Liam Boswell
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS
Anna Rose O’Sullivan, Joseph Sissens
20 May 2025
Tuesday, 7.30pm
FOOL’S PARADISE
Akane Takada, William Bracewell, Marianela Nuñez, Lukas B. Brændsrød
THE TWO OF US
Annette Buvoli, Lukas B. Brændsrød, Julia Fordham
US
Leo Dixon, Téo Dubreuil
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS
Meaghan Grace Hinkis, Luca Acri
22 May 2025
Thursday, 7.30pm – Camera Filming
FOOL’S PARADISE
Akane Takada, William Bracewell, Marianela Nuñez, Lukas B. Brændsrød
THE TWO OF US
Lauren Cuthbertson, Calvin Richardson, Julia Fordham
US
Matthew Ball, Joseph Sissens
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS
Francesca Hayward, Cesar Corrales
27 May 2025
Tuesday, 7.30pm
FOOL’S PARADISE
Ella Newton Severgnini, Vadim Muntagirov, Melissa Hamilton, Reece Clarke
THE TWO OF US
Fumi Kaneko, Francisco Serrano, Julia Fordham
US
Joshua Junker, Liam Boswell
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS
Anna Rose O’Sullivan, Joseph Sissens
Ballet (Live) to Broadway
In cinemas:
Encore: Sunday 25 May 2025
Thursday 22 May 2025
Four of Christopher Wheeldon’s most distinctive works are brought to the Main Stage and broadcast live to cinemas on Thursday 22 May 2025, bringing together exceptional contemporary ballet with the vibrancy of musical theatre. Through Fool’s Paradise / The Two of Us / Us / An American in Paris, cinema audiences can experience Wheeldon’s remarkable choreographic breadth, in stories of tender devotion and blossoming romance.
Tickets £7–£125
The performance last approximately 2 hours and 25 minutes, including two intervals
Approximate running times:
Fool’s Paradise : 30 minutes
Interval : 30 minutes
The Two of Us : 20 minutes
Us: 10 minutes
Interval: 30 minutes
An American in Paris: 25 minutes
