Mr. Worldly Wise

Mr. Worldly Wise was commissioned by Sir Anthony Dowell, artistic director of London’s Royal Ballet. The work featured company stars Irek Mukhamedov, Tetsuya Kumakawa and Darcey Bussell in the principal roles. The soloists and ensemble completed a world-class cast. Sets and costumes designed and executed by David Roger, create a surreal environment for Tharp’s first three-act ballet.

The plot combines biographical details from the life of Italian composer Gioachino Rossini and the allegory "Pilgrim’s Progress." The ballet’s title character, danced by Mukhamedov, is ill-tempered, burdened by pride and the heavy expectations that come with success. He lugs a bag behind him - a representation of his spiritual burden. When the bag is opened, Kumakawa emerges from it, Mukhamedov’s protégé.

Bussell enters and leads the two men into a dream, filled with a host of fanciful characters. When Mukhamedov emerges from the vision, he is transformed – humbled, gentrified and at peace.