Wayne McGregor's Woolf Works at La Scala: A Critical Review

Stefano Tomassini delivers a scathing review of Wayne McGregor's 'Woolf Works' at Teatro alla Scala in Milan. The ballet, originally produced by the Royal Ballet in 2015, is criticized as a superficial, overambitious 'Reader's Digest' selection of Virginia Woolf's novels. Tomassini argues that McGregor's choreography fails to transcend or transform its literary sources, resulting in a work that is neither abstract nor narrative but merely illustrative. The music by Max Richter is deemed cinematic and commodified, lacking the acoustic unease of Woolf's writing. Alessandra Ferri's performance is praised for its depth and maturity, though the choreography often reduces her to clichéd gestures. The three parts—inspired by 'Mrs. Dalloway,' 'Orlando,' and 'The Waves'—are uneven, with the first part suffering from a lack of dramatic intensity despite a sapphic kiss, the second part marred by a 'Star Trek' aesthetic, and only the third part offering a genuine exploration of time through a black-and-white projection of waves. Tomassini concludes that the ballet is a product of global market universalism, culturally oppressive and mystifying.