MADDADDAM

Ballet and dance

Those who remain must find a new way of life. The dystopian future of Margaret Atwood's trilogy of novels comes alive in this multi-sensory three-act epic by Wayne McGregor. Featuring an original score by Max Richter, MADDADDAM sold out its premiere run in 2024.

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A ballet dancer wearing a pink jumpsuit launches themselves into the air in front of a backdrop of a big red eye.

How to watch
Dates and cast
About
Synopsis
Creatives
Discover
Access and resources

How to watch

Watch on stage

Not yet on sale

General booking opens on 21 October 2026

Priority booking dates

Booking Period 2 26/27

Dates

22 February - 13 March 2027

Location

Main Stage

Approximate timings

The performance will last approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes, including two intervals.

Accessibility

Audio Described
Touch Tour

Expand all dates

Monday 22 February, 7:30 pm

Wednesday 24 February, 7:30 pm

Saturday 27 February, 7:30 pm

Show all dates until 13 March 2027

Guidance

Suitable for ages 16+

This production contains adult themes, including depictions of violence, sexual violence and animal violence. There are two gunshots in Act I: Castaway. These can be loud.

Generous support from

Exceptional philanthropic support from

Royal Ballet and Opera Principal The Julia Rausing Trust

Generous philanthropic support from

Tim and Sarah Bunting, Sir Lloyd and Lady Dorfman OBE and John and Susan Burns

Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor generously supported by

Dame Tina Taylor DBE

The 2026/27 Royal Ballet Season is generously supported by

Aud Jebsen

A co-production between

The Royal Ballet and The National Ballet of Canada

Synopsis

Annihilation. Invention. Survival. – The story of MADDADDAM

In an imagined future not far from our own, a bio-engineered apocalypse has changed the Earth as we know it. An incongruous group of survivors must navigate a dangerous present – and make sense of the past.

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Creatives

The artists and creatives behind the production

Inspired by the MaddAddam Trilogy

Margaret Atwood

Direction and Choreography

Music

Creative Consultant

Set Designer

Costume Designer

Lighting Designer

Film Designer

Dramaturgy

Sound System Designer

Chris Ekers

Discover

A dystopian epic reimagined

The inspiration

Margaret Atwood’s exuberant imagination and disruptive wit, in combination with her feminist and environmentalist perspective, have assured her reputation over the last half a century as one of our greatest living writers. Known for her depiction of dystopian speculative futures in which, famously, nothing is invented that is not already taking place somewhere in the world, Atwood holds a mirror up to life, warning us of where we are headed and asking, ‘Who’s got the will to stop us?’

Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor brings Atwood’s monumental trilogy of novels (Oryx and Crake, The Year of the Flood and MaddAddam) to the stage in this ballet set to an original score by Max Richter. Themes of extinction, invention, hubris and humanity combine with the resolute moral voice of Atwood’s feminist and environmentalist writings in this electrifying exploration of life beyond societal collapse. Urgent, prophetic and visceral, the ballet holds up a mirror to our own world.

Gallery

Three ballet dancers perform on stage. One dancer wearing all white launches themselves in the air while the other two hold their arms upwards as though to catch them. They perform in front of a dark backdrop. (1 of 7) — Joseph Sissens as Snowman-Jimmy, Fumi Kaneko as Oryx and William Bracewell as Crake in MADDADDAM, The Royal Ballet ©2024 RBO. Photographed by Andrej Uspenski

A ballet dancer wearing check patterned shorts launches themselves in to the air. They are performing in front of a dark backdrop with an image of a fish-eye lens view of a forest from below. (2 of 7) — Joseph Sissens as Snowman-Jimmy in MADDADDAM, The Royal Ballet ©2024 RBO. Photographed by Andrej Uspenski

Several ballet dancers wearing blue leotards and short perform on a dark stage. One dancer is being held up by the group. (3 of 7) — MADDADDAM, The Royal Ballet ©2024 ROH. Photographed by Andrej Uspenski

Several ballet dancers perform in the centre of a brightly neon lit stage all wearing white. Behind them are white neon strip lights. To the side of the stage is a pink lit advertising sign with an cartoon image of eyes and eyebrows. Geometric shapes are lit from above. (4 of 7) — MADDADDAM, The Royal Ballet ©2024 ROH. Photographed by Andrej Uspenski

Four ballet dancers perform on a dark stage. In the centre of the stage is a metal scaffold with a neon lit pharmacy sign hanging down. (5 of 7) — MADDADDAM, The Royal Ballet ©2024 ROH. Photographed by Andrej Uspenski

Several ballet dancers wearing short white costumes stand on a dark stage. Above them, them a neon lit sign reads "Survival". Above this sign, dark grey geometric shapes hang down, ominously over the performers. (6 of 7) — MADDADDAM, The Royal Ballet ©2024 ROH. Photographed by Andrej Uspenski

Two ballet dancers perform together on stage in front of dark backdrop with an oval framed image of an hallway that is lit bright orange. (7 of 7) — Fumi Kaneko as Oryx and Joseph Sissens as Snowman-Jimmy in MADDADDAM, The Royal Ballet ©2024 ROH. Photographed by Andrej Uspenski

Accessibility and resources

There is lift access and there are step-free routes to over 100 seats in the Stalls Circle, Balcony and Amphitheatre. Some seats in the Stalls Circle, Balcony, Amphitheatre and the Donald Gordon Grand Tier are accessed by 9 steps or fewer. There are 10 steps or more to access seats in the Orchestra Stalls.

You can use the assistive listening systems in our auditoriums. Surtitles, captions and translations in English are displayed on screens above the stage and around the auditorium.

Join our Access Scheme for priority access to tickets and to inform us of your access requirements.

See our Accessibility page for more information or view a visitors guide (PDF, 12.0 MB).