REVIEW | The Nutcracker, Northern Ballet
★★★★★
Written by Natasha.
The Nutcracker ballet, conceived by the composer Tchaikovsky in the late 19th century, was not popular during his lifetime. It has since become the most performed ballet in the world, which led me to wonder - could Northern Ballet bring anything new to the tried and tested formula?
The answer is a resounding - Yes!
Formed in 1969, Northern Ballet established a reputation for innovation and invention and this production of The Nutcracker, envisioned by former Artistic Director David Nixon, does not disappoint. It is imbued with endless energy, dramatic storytelling through dance, occasional quirkiness and phenomenal attention to detail. From the opening scene of Act One, the audience is compelled to engage in an elaborate visual feast. The opening scenes of a Christmas party fizz with activity; an exuberance of movement, gesture and expression entrance us and continues to hold our attention as the action unfolds. The characters are brought to life in movement, demonstrating how good contemporary ballet can be; the choreography is fresh, exciting and real. Rachael Gillespie is particularly expressive at the centre of the story as Clara, who receives a Nutcracker toy as a gift and is swept away to a magical land.
For those who are concerned about too much change, however, the artistic vision and choreography leave plenty of room for The Nutcracker’s classical ballet spectacles. It is not a complete reimagining but rather a reinvigoration of the piece, with a perfect combination of innovation and tradition, contemporaneity and classicism. The Act Two set pieces are showcased as a performance within a performance, with a commanding Master of Ceremonies role for the production’s re-envisioned Uncle Drosselmeyer. The dancing remains exquisite, whether performed by soloists, principals or the corps de ballet. It is complemented by beautiful make-up and costumes (notably intricate Snow Maiden headgear and Regency outfits) and thoughtful set design. Heralding in Christmastide, the superb staging and lighting give us snow, night skies, twinkles, a gliding sleigh and, most importantly, magic!
Read more: Interview with Rachael Gillespie, Northern Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker principal dancer.
Tchaikovsky’s familiar music still manages to sound lively and invigorating even to today’s ears – a live orchestra brings so much to a production. As the audience gathered, the Northern Ballet Sinfonia warming up added to our anticipation - shuffling timpani, a melodious bassoon, a tinkling harp. The instrumentalists and their conductor Jonathan Lo did not disappoint. Yes, they have a sumptuous score at their disposable but the Sinfonia truly makes it sing. The orchestral and ballet performances are symbiotic, giving us two amazing masterclasses in one. The audience may be unable to take their eyes off the dancers, but the music is at the heart of this ballet.
Of course, the story does not really make much sense, but this merely adds to the ballet’s charm. The flimsy Nutcracker plot is a whimsical flight of fancy, crammed with Christmas excitement, dreamy fantasy and surrealist touches which, like all the best theatre, takes us out of our own world into another dimension. Nixon further plays with the source material, transforming E T A Hoffman’s vicious Mouse King into a sassy anti-hero, shaking his booty and engaging in playground dance moves (much to the delight of many children in the audience!) This and other comedic twists once again transport both children and adults out of the everyday into the world of imagination. What an utterly captivating production!
Overall, I can thoroughly recommend Northern Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker, not only for its choreography and dancing, but as a reminder of magic - not only the magic of Christmastime but the sheer magic of going to the theatre. (And If Nixon has achieved this, breathing new energy into the most performed ballet in the world, then I am full of anticipation for Northern Ballet’s The Great Gatsby in 2023!)
Northern Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker performs At Nottingham Theatre Royal until 19 November. Afterwards, it goes onto Norwich Theatre Royal 22-26 November, Hull New Theatre 30 November - 3 December, Leeds Grand Theatre 20 December = 7 January. Visit their website for further ticket information.