Wayne McGregor's Alchemies at Royal Opera House Showcases Collaborations with Fashion and Art Figures

Wayne McGregor's mixed bill Alchemies at the Royal Opera House in London from 18 April to 6 May 2026 features new and existing works highlighting his collaborative approach. The program includes Yugen from 2018, Untitled, 2023, and a premiere with fashion designer Saul Nash, whose label launched in 2018. McGregor's ballets integrate contributions from diverse creatives: Max Richter and Thomas Adès compose scores, while Tacita Dean and Olafur Eliasson design sets. Costumes come from Gareth Pugh, Grace Wales Bonner, Daniel Lee of Burberry, and Shirin Guild, who created blood-red attire for Yugen. Edmund de Waal, a British ceramicist, designed Yugen's set, drawing on his liturgical background. For Untitled, 2023, inspiration came from Cuban American artist Carmen Herrera, who collaborated on the set before her death in 2022 at age 106. McGregor notes Nash's understanding of movement due to his dance background, and the designer modernizes traditional ballet costume. Historical context references Marie Taglioni's 1832 tutu, Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, and collaborations with Pablo Picasso and Oskar Schlemmer. The Royal Opera House sent a scale replica to Herrera in New York for set design. Lucy Carter's lighting animates the stage, and McGregor's long-standing connection with Daniel Lee dates to his time at Bottega Veneta.