Onstage, the raw and intense magical realism of Esquivel’s original novel is articulated in Joby Talbot’s captivating score and Bob Crowley’s sweeping, transportive stage designs. It’s a story of forbidden love, defying tradition, and familial tension that centers around Tita, a young Mexican woman yearning for her beloved Pedro, whose passionate emotions are made fantastical through her cooking. Francesca Hayward and Marcelino Sambé, principal dancers with The Royal Ballet, act as our Tita and Pedro. They are propulsive, articulating Wheeldon’s energetic choreography with verve and ecstasy among a lithe cast. With them, we see love that endures, even in the most intense circumstances.

“Audiences are in for a real journey. I hope they feel the emotional pull of it all—the heartbreak, the passion, the magic,” says Wheeldon, who choreographed both the 2022 and 2025 productions. “I saw the film before reading the book, and I was instantly drawn into the beautiful world Laura Esquivel created. It’s tender, intense, and full of longing. What really stayed with me were the female characters. They’re strong and resilient, but also beautifully flawed—and that complexity makes the story feel so human. It’s exactly the kind of emotional depth that translates so powerfully into ballet.” Wheeldon’s fluid, precise, and narrative style of dance has won him a Tony Award and played out across The Royal Ballet and New York City Ballet, as well as a recent appearance on the ballet drama Étoile.