As children, fairy tales whisked us away to magical worlds. Our imaginations ran wild, crafting vivid scenes of princesses and faraway lands. The English National Ballet captures this nostalgia with their breath-taking production of the Nutcracker.
Act I opens with an inviting warmth, gently drawing the audience into Clara’s world through the Stahlbaum family’s Christmas Eve party. The set is adorned with rich hues of red and brown, and a tall Christmas tree gleams behind the dancing guests. A moment of hushed awe sweeps through the audience as Clara’s mother swirls across the stage with an almost ethereal glow, her costume studded with sparkles. The scene’s highlight arrives with Drosselmeyer’s puppet show. The children gather excitedly as two dancers emerge from the puppet stage to perform a duet that is both mesmerising and unconventional, blending the traditional grace of ballet with sharper, more puppet-like movements.
Soon, the celebrations draw to a close and the guests bid farewell, leaving Clara’s family to retire for the night. The audience watches Clara sneak back downstairs to the living room, unable to resist the allure of her gift, the Nutcracker doll. As she sits, the magic begins to unfold. Through a delightful use of lighting, the living room is transformed into a space where reality and imagination blur. Mouse-shaped “shadows” can be seen darting down the banisters and across the tops of bookshelves. The audience watches, spellbound, as a shadow shifts and grows into the ominous figure of the Rat King, who then emerges on stage, as if by magic. Here, Clara’s dream begins…
She suddenly finds herself in the midst of a fierce battle between the now life-sized Nutcracker and the Rat King. The scene is delightfully absurd, drawing laughter out of the audience with its ridiculous, dreamlike chaos. Clara is bombarded by a gang of street mice and a mini nutcracker army. She is soon bustled around the stage to safety by a group of suffragettes, bringing more laughter and adding a fresh, playful edge to the show.
With the audience’s mood at a cheerful peak, the battle scene dissolves and the stage transforms into a silvery, moonlit forest. Clara, now grown, stands cloaked in a veil of white mist with the Nutcracker Prince. A “moon” glows at the back of the stage and resembles a large silver bauble, echoing the playful tone of the battle. Yet, the grandeur of the scene is undeniable, and the audience stills once again, breath taken. Clara and the Prince now showcase a stunning duet, drawing the audience deeper into the splendour of the moment through ethereal twirls and lifts that sweep across the stage. With a flurry of twirling snowflakes, the Ice Queen arrives and the audience is swept into the Dance of the Snowflakes. The dancers seem to float across the stage, creating the illusion of a single, grand snowflake centred by the Ice Queen’s glittering crown.
In a deliciously creative bridge to Act II, the Ice Queen conjures up a glistening ice sleigh, and Clara and The Nutcracker Prince climb aboard, leaving the audience to watch in awe as they are lifted up into the air as the curtain falls.
Act II invites the audience to join Clara in the Land of Sweets and Delights. The set bursts with colour and charm, consisting of a series of intricately painted and brightly coloured sweet-themed tents that evoke the feeling of stepping into an old-fashioned sweet shop. The whimsical atmosphere sets the stage for the Sugar Plum Fairy to present a suite of sweet-themed dances. One by one, Clara samples the delights and the dancers (the “sweets”) take centre stage with stunning, gravity-defying dances. The audiences watches in awe as ‘turron’ emerge from an oversized sweet box and ‘marzipan-zwiebelfloten’ leap across the stage. Among the many standout moments, the sahlab dance captivates with its slow, seductive choreography, while the liquorice allsorts bring a playful energy with their whimsical, brightly coloured costumes. The vibrancy and energy of the scene provide an exciting contrast to the misty splendour of Act I, culminating in the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, a captivating presentation of precise and elegant movement. As the Land of Sweets and Delights fades away, Clara is gently returned to her living room, and the show concludes on a high note, bringing the magical journey full circle, and leaving the audience spellbound.
The English National Ballet’s Nutcracker is truly a night to remember. The adaptation embraces the childlike charm of the story and evokes a warm sense of nostalgia while seamlessly incorporating creative, modern ideas. It is a production that enchants audiences of all ages, capturing the timeless splendour of the story through ornate sets and costumes and its fresh, imaginative flair.
Featured Image: Anna Nevzorova as Ice Queen and English National Ballet dancers in Nutcracker by Aaron S. Watkin and Arielle Smith (c) Johan Persson
Review by Aishani Chatterjee
Information and tickets : Nutcracker Ballet Tickets | English National Ballet
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