The Nutcracker, Royal Opera House - dance review

Peter Wright’s production is a cracker of a Christmas ballet
The Nutcracker performed by the Royal Ballet
Alastair Muir
6 December 2013

Christmas means the battle of the Nutcrackers. And the Royal Ballet’s lavish, classical treat is the hottest ticket of them all.

True the ballet’s structure can seem a bit creaky to modern audiences — as we journey from a children’s party on Christmas Eve to a forest where snow falls as snowflakes dance, to the glistening pink palace that represents the Kingdom of Sweets, it’s a succession of dazzling set pieces. Even Tchaikovsky didn’t like the plot.

But the masterstroke of Peter Wright’s production is to make magician Herr Drosselmeyer the main character — a manipulative master of ceremonies with a whiff of Simon Cowell. To save his nephew who has been transformed into a nutcracker doll, he persuades his god-daughter, Clara, to leave her family on Christmas Eve and journey into a world of fantasy.

It gives the ballet coherence and makes for genuinely gripping theatre rather than just a sugar-coated 19th-century fable.

Julia Trevelyan Oman’s sets are astonishing — The Land of Snow is an Ansel Adams cloudscape; while The Sugar Garden of the Palace channels the right side of Vegas kitsch. And the moment when the Christmas tree grows to four times its normal size draws gasps.

As Clara, Francesca Hayward is all febrile limbs and burgeoning sexuality. The Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince are the rock stars of the production. But it’s Gary Avis’s Drosselmeyer who dominates the stage, a master judge in his own talent show.

This Nutcracker is a triumph. It’s impossible not to surrender to the frosted charm and superb dancing — but there’s a hint of darkness at the heart. If you can’t get your hands on a ticket, do catch the live relay at cinemas on 12 December.

Until 16 January. For more information and booking, call 020 7304 4000 or go to roh.org.uk

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