The Dark Crystal ballet and more announced in new Royal Opera House season

The Royal Opera House has unveiled its new season of work as it sets plans to reopen.

Featured in the season are shows like Christopher Wheeldon's Like Water for Chocolate, work by famed US choreographer Kyle Abraham and a number of pieces from resident choreographer Wayne McGregor.

McGregor will create a ballet inspired by Jim Henson's iconic The Dark Crystal. Entitled Odyssey, the piece will play in the Linbury Theatre. On the creative team are artists Brian and Wendy Froud, composer Joel Cadbury, digital designers kontrastmoment, lighting designer Lucy Carter, dramaturg Uzma Hameed, costume designer Philip Delamore and face-and-body-artist Alex Box, with puppets and props from Jim Henson's Creature Shop.

Created alongside Paris Opera Ballet, McGregor's The Dante Project will have its world premiere in October, inspired by Dante's Inferno and co-presented with composer Thomas Adès and artist Tacita Dean. It also has lighting designer Lucy Carter and dramaturg Uzma Hameed on its creative team. Edward Watson will perform the role of Dante.

Christopher Wheeldon's new full-length ballet Like Water for Chocolate, based on the Mexican novel of the same name by Laura Esquivel, will be co-presented by the Royal Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. With composer Joby Talbot, costume and set designer Bob Crowley, projection designer Luke Halls and lighting designer Natasha Katz, the cast is led by led by Francesca Hayward and Marcelino Sambé.

Elsewhere in the season are firm favourites including Giselle, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, works by Frederick Ashton, and Kenneth MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet, while there are also collaborations with Ballet Black as well as Yorke Dance Project.

On the opera side, there will be stagings of Verdi's Rigoletto, Handel's oratorio Theodora (directed by Katie Mitchell) and a staging of Claus Guth's production of Jenůfa.

Little Bulb Theatre will return to the Royal Opera House for the world premiere of their magical new Christmas show for family audiences.

The world premiere of a work by Kyle Abraham is to be revealed.

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