Between reality and fantasy, this performance sways but doesn’t choose sides. The subversive power of Lewis Carroll’s novel reveals itself in this tension, embodied by the character of Alice. In the free adaptation by OperaLab.ch, Wonderland exists and can be visited like any tourist attraction—until the Minister of Culture announces its imminent closure. A final expedition to Wonderland is then organized, offering a chance to discover the fantastic beings that inhabit it.
This becomes an opportunity for these creatures and for Alice to imagine one last performance, potentially saving or reinventing their world. The uniqueness of the project lies in the artistic decision to give free rein to the many characters Alice encounters: the rabbit, the mad hatter, the king, and the queen of hearts, each offering their own urgent, light, intricate, affected, or conspiratorial song. A score for 15 musicians and 5 singers, where electronic sounds and video images engage in a dangerous and revealing play with the traditional sounds of classical opera.
In French.
