This determinedly un-Christmas show aspires to be a deconstruction of many Christmas stories of the past. Dance artists are fired from their job for reinterpreting the movements of the pantomime horse, their landlord throws them onto the street for non payment of rent and up in heaven an angel studies hard for his exams in celestial movement language. In the meantime the evil Ghost of Christmas Present lurks about the stage waiting to traumatise some poor unsuspecting shopper.

Tom Roden and Pete Shenton have woven together this unique piece of theatre and dance in a search to help us discover the real meaning of Christmas. Hysterically they sound like two guys chatting over a pint in a bar on Christmas Day with much dead pan humour and more than their fair share of irony. Their choreography smacks the boundaries of physical theatre and their fluidity of movement coupled with astute observation adds highlights the naïve poetic quality of their work.

Dave Parkin is equally hysterical as a vicious Christmas box stomping around the stage to a menacing rhythm and when open he too reveals a comic irony to match the others. In short, the Notcracker is a delightful antidote to the syrupy Christmas dance shows of yore.