Everyone has a tradition that lets them know that Christmas has arrived. For some it’s a family trip to the panto, for others it’s watching the final of Strictly Come Dancing. But in my household, it’s The Nutcracker. The much-beloved show performed by the Birmingham Royal Ballet returned to the city on November 19th this year, and will be running until December 10th (so there’s still time to get your tickets). Choreographed by Sir Peter Wright, the world-famous production features 60 dancers and music by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia.
The Nutcracker tells the story of Clara, a young girl who is given a nutcracker doll by her magical godfather Drosselmeyer as a Christmas gift. That night, she can’t sleep, and when she comes downstairs, she is transported to a wonderland in which she meets her nutcracker, now a prince, and faces off against the evil Rat King. On her travels she visits the Land of Snow, encounters people from around the world, and finally watches the Prince dance with the Sugar Plum Fairy, before awakening in her house to wonder if it was all a dream.
Despite the performance we went to being a matinee, and arriving 40 minutes early, the foyer was already packed with audience members excitedly waiting for the doors to open and the show to begin. After we grabbed some cake and coffee and took our seats, the curtain rose to display the first of the brand new sets. After over 30 years of performances in Birmingham and beyond, John Macfarlane’s beautiful sets were getting a bit run down, so they were given a one million pound rebuild, largely funded by generous audience support. The bright red house interior, with its huge Christmas tree, was a grand backdrop to the scene, and every set was filled with much more detail and colour than last year.
The effects were interesting too, with electric candles adorning the room and an unexpected firework to mark the arrival of Drosselmeyer. The only disappointment was the scene in which Clara was transported to the magic land. Although the tree growing was impressive, when comparing it to the full-room projections and light show of last year, it felt a little underwhelming.
The performances, however, were just as stellar as always. The children, who were made up of members of Elmhurt Ballet School and Royal Ballet programmes, were both talented and surprisingly funny, and Jonathan Payn as Drosselmeyer brought a larger-than-life performance. Some of the group dances felt a little more like filler than focus points of the show, but after the arrival of the Rat King and the journey to the Land of Snow, everything got so much better.
Clara flew across the stage riding a swan, then arrived in the Land of Snow. Snow fell from the ceiling while the Snowflakes and the Snow Fairy gave one of the best performances of the night. It may be a cliché to say so, but the entire scene was magical, and the music was played perfectly.
After a short interval, and the obligatory pot of ice cream, act 2 began. Mist fell off the stage and we were transported around the world to witness the Spanish, Arabian, Chinese, and Russian dances, as well as the dance of the Mirlitons and the waltz of the flowers. My personal favourite among these was the Arabian dance. Although The Nutcracker is generally an exciting, effect-filled, and often humorous ballet, this dance was quiet and understated, with music to reflect this. It was a welcome break from the group dances and fast duets while still being intricately choreographed.
Act 2 is also when Beatrice Parma as Clara came into her own. I’m embarrassed to admit that I was still holding onto last year’s performance by Karla Doorbar, so I started the night a little biased against the new lead. However, after mastering every dance she took part in, I quickly came around. Very few of the cast at this performance were principle members, so I can’t say for sure how well the regular dancers will be if you see the show, but I am yet to be let down by a member of the Birmingham Royal Ballet.
I didn’t totally miss Karla Doorbar, however, as she danced as the Sugar Plum Fairy. Her dance with the Prince was another of my favourites of the night, however it was really the music that made it. The first section of the pas de deux, the Adagio, was filled with emotion, and I wish I was able to see the band from my seat more clearly. The rising harp and other strings built to the crescendo of trumpets, strings, and cymbals that gave me goosebumps by the end of it. The rousing applause from the audience after the scene really said it all.
My final thoughts on the ballet are likely shared by everyone who has seen it – they knocked it out of the park yet again. I may have been hesitant at the start, but all that faded away as soon as the swan took to the sky. It was well worth battling through the rain to get to the theatre, and I would recommend grabbing one of the few remaining tickets before the end of the shows run.
