THE NUTCRACKER

Theatre Royal Brighton

★★

“the lack of strong storytelling and emotional connection leaves it feeling more proficient than magical”

This most famous of fantasy ballets for all the family begins as night falls on Christmas Eve. In this production by the Bulgarian Varna International Ballet, under the artistic direction of Daniela Dimova, featuring an all-adult company, the ensemble sets off for the Christmas Eve party, capturing a sense of childhood joy. The dancers infuse energy and humour into scenes of children playing in the snow, which carries over into the lively party scene. However, the magic is somewhat diminished by photographic projections instead of physical scenery changes—understandable given Varna’s ambitious touring schedule. While some projections are effective (such as toys leaping from an onscreen dollhouse into live-action counterparts), others feel generic and lack atmosphere. Set design is credited to Asya Stoimenova.

Toymaker Herr Drosselmeyer, hidden behind an elaborate Venetian-style mask, signals the start of Marie’s dreamlike adventure. His masked mechanical dolls perform intricate movements, but their faces are obscured, making it difficult to connect with the characters. Dmitry Tcherbadzhi’s costumes are a mixed success—Marie’s layered two-tone blue dress ripples beautifully in dance, creating a simple yet striking visual. In contrast, the Mouse King’s costume, especially the netted skirt, obscures his line, diminishing his physical presence. Traditional Nutcracker transformations are handled simply but effectively, such as Drosselmeyer’s cloak concealing the shift from doll to human Prince.

As midnight strikes, animated clock projections, a triangle from the orchestra, and a growing onscreen Christmas tree transition us into Marie’s dream world. The ensuing battle between mice and soldiers is one of the production’s most striking moments, with strong choreography by Vasily Vainonen (revised by Sergey Bobrov) and projections of miniature mice and soldiers advancing across oversized Christmas decorations. The Mouse King (Konsta Roos) commands authority, though his costume limits his physicality. The Snowflake corps de ballet, dressed in shimmering costumes, closes the first act with precision and grace, offering a magical moment.

The second act opens in the Kingdom of Sweets. While the cultural dances—Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Russian, and French—are colourful, they are problematic. Some costumes feel stereotypical, while others mix cultural elements confusingly. Dancers in the Spanish and Chinese sections are hindered by accessories that restrict movement. While the sequence highlights the dancers’ technical skill, it lacks narrative cohesion, feeling more like a disconnected series of solos than part of Marie’s journey.

Most surprising is the omission of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Instead, Marie and the Prince (Giovanni Pompei) perform the iconic pas de deux. While technically fine, it lacks the contrast and variation a separate Sugar Plum Fairy would have provided. The chemistry between Marie and the Prince is underwhelming, and there are some awkward lifts. Marie’s costume change—from a simple ensemble to a more structured tutu and tiara—signals maturity in her character’s journey, but the emotional depth of this transformation is missing. Pompei delivers a strong solo sequence of grand jetés, followed by Marie’s solos and a final pas de deux and corps ensemble. Though technically polished, the extended conclusion feels visually repetitive.

At a time when many touring productions rely on recorded music, it was refreshing to hear a live orchestra. Despite being a relatively small 20-piece ensemble, under the baton of Music Director Peter Tuleshkov, they delivered a lively, heartfelt performance of Tchaikovsky’s beloved score, adding warmth and authenticity to the evening.

Ultimately, this production of The Nutcracker is a competent and visually colourful rendition that plays it safe. The company’s technical precision is evident, particularly in the Snowflake scene, but the lack of strong storytelling and emotional connection leaves it feeling more proficient than magical. The audience gets what is expected from a touring ballet company staging three different productions on consecutive nights—competence, but little surprise or boundary-pushing innovation.

It was not always clear which dancers were performing, as the programme suggested rotation throughout the tour—or even within the same evening. This may explain the occasional lack of polish and chemistry between dancers.

THE NUTCRACKER

Theatre Royal Brighton then UK Tour continues (at each venue there is a performance of The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Romeo & Juliet)

Reviewed on 29th January 2025

by Ellen Cheshire

More reviews from Ellen:

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE | ★★★½ | CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE | January 2025

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST | ★★★★ | NEW THEATRE ROYAL | December 2024

REDLANDS | ★★★★ | CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE | September 2024

BARISTA THE MUSICAL | ★★★ | CAPITOL THEATRE | September 2024

THE BELT | ★★★★★ | THE CORONET THEATRE | September 2024

THE WEYARD SISTERS | ★★ | RIVERSIDE STUDIOS | August 2024

THE NUTCRACKER

★★★★

“an impressive showcase of talent, both established and on the up”

The National Ballet of Canada arrived at Sadler’s Wells this season for the first time in over a decade. Company Director Hope Muir leans into the national heritage with a programme of works by contemporary Canadian choreographers, playing to the crowd with choreographer du jour, and Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist, Crystal Pite topping off the bill.

The programme starts with its oldest work from 2013, Passion (header image – photo Bruce Zinger), by James Kudelka. Kudelka is a former Artistic Director of the company, although he created this work after his tenure, originally for Houston Ballet. It’s a wonderful place to start – directly exploring the evolution of the form from the romantic era of the 19th century through to the contemporary era of the 20th. Two duets intermittently draw attention. The first, a classical duet directly adhering to ballet’s 19th century heritage, full of arabesques, pirouettes and picture-perfect lifts that could be snapshots for a textbook. In contrast, we find a man and woman more passionately displaying their relationship – dressed in more simple, everyday costume more reminiscent of a Balanchine rehearsal studio image. The juxtaposition between romanticism and sensuality provides a rich seam for cultural criticism. But there is so much happening between the active corps, the romantic era principals and first soloist duets, and the contemporary duet that something’s got to give. Unfortunately, it’s often the poor corps, who are run ragged by Kudelka’s choreography, hardly leaving the stage or pausing from their jeté’s.

After the interval, are two pieces by female choreographers more alike to each other than to the first piece, though distinct in scale.

Islands (image above – photo Karolina Kuras), is a duet for two women by Emma Portner, a dancer-choreographer with a dauntingly impressive CV for being not-yet 30. Genevieve Penn-Nabity and Heather Ogden reappear fresh from leading the previous piece. Whilst not immediately clear from the off, the dancers are conjoined in a shared pair of trousers. This leads to some wonderful optical illusions, where it’s unclear who which limbs belong to. Disappointingly, the conceit does not continue throughout the whole piece. Whilst the movement of both dancers continues to be wedded to each other as the score moves from more electronic sounds to an almost choral pop piece by Lily Konigsberg, I cannot get past the pile of awkwardly abandoned trousers, symbolising an inspired idea only half-explored.

This notion is only solidified by experiencing Angels’ Atlas (image below – photo Karolina Kuras), a piece created for the company in 2020 by Crystal Pite. Pite is singular in her vision, uniquely exploring colossal concepts about the human condition, such as grief in Betroffenheit, the plight of refugees in Flight Pattern or, in this case, the infinite awesomeness of the cosmos in contrast with individual humanity. Angels Atlas fills the stage with the full company, a Pite signature technique, against a light shattered backdrop, designed by Jay Gower Taylor and Tom Visser, to give an ethereal quality, emphasised by the liturgical chorus. With a cast as large as this, potentially up to fifty dancers, much of the effect comes from the indistinguishability of individuals from the chorus of movement. That being said, Siphesihle November stands out as an utterly bewitching presence amongst the crowd. It’s subtle, but palpable, as if his every exhalation and extension lasts just a moment longer than his neighbours – feeling, rather than performing his role. This is the closest I have come to experiencing dance as hypnosis – the synchronised and canonical movements, combining with the lighting and sound inducing a trance-like state.

Frontiers: Choreographers of Canada achieves what it likely set out to do – return to London with an impressive showcase of talent, both established and on the up, on and behind the stage. Kudelka and Portner’s pieces are enjoyable thematic explorations, but really it’s all about Pite – who never misses.

THE NUTCRACKER

Theatre Royal Brighton

★★

“the lack of strong storytelling and emotional connection leaves it feeling more proficient than magical”

THE NUTCRACKER

Theatre Royal Brighton then UK Tour continues (at each venue there is a performance of The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Romeo & Juliet)

Reviewed on 29th January 2025

by Ellen Cheshire

More reviews from Ellen:

THE NUTCRACKER

THE NUTCRACKER

THE NUTCRACKER

FRONTIERS at Sadler’s Wells Theatre

★★★★

“an impressive showcase of talent, both established and on the up”

FRONTIERS at Sadler’s Wells Theatre

Reviewed on 2nd October

by Amber Woodward

Photography by Bruce Zinger and Karolina Kuras

Previously reviewed at this venue:

FRONTIERS

FRONTIERS