We sat down for a quick chat with Alexander Scott, director of Little Bulb Theatre, an award-winning national touring company based in the South West of England, about their Olivier-nominated theatre adaptation of The Nutcracker (for kids of all ages, but especially 5-12). The production will make its West End debut after a smash-hit run at Wimbledon’s Polka Theatre last Christmas.
What, in your view, keeps The Nutcracker at the heart of our Christmas storytelling, and how does your version reinterpret that timeless appeal?
The Nutcracker is one of those classics where it’s not so much the original story that people know, but rather the iconic cast of characters, Clara and Fritz, the many headed Mouse King, curious Uncle Drosselmeyer (though in our version it’s an Aunty) and, of course, the Sugarplum Fairy. Our version wanted to keep these amazing characters, but place them in a really exciting story inspired by kids adventure films from the 1980s. So, our tale is full of action, adventure and quite a lot of silliness.
We love the musical score from the ballet and have used lots of those tracks as backing music, but we also wanted to add some more modern Christmas music which is also a big part of what makes Christmas feel like Christmas. So, we’ve also added a whole load of our favourite Christmas bangers which the mouse band play live as the audience are coming into the space, to help create a party atmosphere!
How do you navigate the tension between preserving the magic of a classic and injecting your signature eccentricity and playfulness into it?
In the original story, not much actually happens, so, in our version, we really wanted to put Clara and Fritz through their paces as they go on an epic, but also extremely silly, quest. They also have to learn to navigate new issues – helping their Dad handle the stress of moving house, and overcoming their sibling squabbles to work together and ultimately save Christmas.
What aspects of the original tale — from battling children to the formidable Rat King — did you feel most excited to reimagine for modern young audiences?
Without doubt it was making the kids more active participants in the story. In the ballet, Clara especially is very passive, and it’s the Nutcracker who comes alive and sorts out all the problems with the mice. However, in our version, the Nutcracker is a magical object that helps Clara on her epic adventure but ultimately it’s Clara herself who has to actively solve all the challenges she faces. This feels way more satisfying from a narrative perspective and means the show is also a story about how both Clara and Fritz learn to work together as siblings and appreciate each other for who they are, which is a perfect thing to be reminded of at Christmas.
How do you design a show that feels equally engaging for five-year-olds, twelve-year-olds, and the adults who come with them?
It’s always been important to us to engage the whole audience, drawing everyone in and appealing to lots of different sensibilities all at once. Music is a great way to bring people together and whilst we pretty much use only Christmas music in the show, there are so many genres within that. We also use lots of different humour styles, some gags are more physical and some are more verbal, ultimately we try and put in something to entertain everyone – a bit like how classic Christmas films bring together all the family!