A magical Christmas story is spun on stage this year at the Coliseum by the talented dancers, orchestra and exceptional costumes.
Is there a ballet more Christmassy than The Nutcracker? English National Ballet’s production proves not. It’s a complete delight for all ages with Wayne Eagling’s choreography bringing Clara and her prince to the stage in a fresh reimagining of the beloved classic. First performed in 2010 this take on Tchaikovsky’s classic is still proving popular with audiences for good reason, it’s a more concise waltz through Clara’s dreams and keeps the younger attendees engaged throughout.
Farmer’s design also hasn’t aged and feels slick and professional with the set pieces minimal but delivering great impact. I particularly applaud the use of projection and backdrops that transformed us through snowy city nights to Oriental scenes easily with little fuss. The costumes are as perfect as you’d expect from the ENB – they sparkle and glisten, catching everyone’s eyes whilst simultaneously complementing the dancer’s forms and silhouettes for an eye-catching spectacle. Rounding off the visual spectacle with auditory pleasure is the orchestra, flawlessly performing the wellknown tunes to audience applause.
This leaves us the last piece of the puzzle, and arguably the one we’ve all come to see, the cast. The calibre of the dancers at ENB is not to be doubted and these performers didn’t let us down. Ivana Bueno as Clara, Aitor Arrieta as the Nephew, Rentaro Nakaaki as the Nutcracker and Fabian Reimar as Drosselmeyer were our principals for the matinee performance and brought real magic onto the stage each time they entered. Of especial enjoyment was Drosselmeyer (Reimar) who brought a real personality to the production and this characterisation breathed appreciated energy and humour into the show throughout. Clara (Bueno) was as classical and beautiful as you would expect, elegantly processing through her routines. It did feel the chemistry between herself and the Nutcracker and the Nephew was occasionally lacking but they still performed pleasingly together.
Two parts of Eagling’s Nutcracker stand out especially – the Waltz of the Flowers and the hot air balloon. The Waltz of the Flowers (traditionally performed by female dancers) has over 20 dancers with male dancers partnered with females to perform exquisite choreography that really captures the attention and keeps the audience mesmerised. Equally the hot air balloon which transports Clara around her dream is a whimsical touch that adds to the contemporary nature of the performance and delights the children in the audience. Also of mention is how tastefully Eagling navigates the different toys from around the world – both the Chinese and Russian dancers had some fantastic choreography (the man playing the Russian dancer executed some fantastic spins) but it didn’t feel too stereotypical.
Before we can conclude the child dancers must be mentioned and I was quite disappointed to not see them come out on the stage for the bows at the end. Clara and Freddie were entertaining and convincing in their childhood rivalry and their bond was charming and relatable. The other children who featured most heavily in the opening sequence but also returned to stage for a choral verse showed real talent and will be ones to watch for the future.
The Nutcracker is a delightful family evening out that will keep everyone entertained and a little in awe – definitely one to pop on the Christmas wishlist.