The Nutcracker

Published Tuesday 12 December 2006 at 12:40 by Gavin Roebuck

Christopher Hampson has arranged the traditional choreography to bring a fresh approach to the seasonal favourite. There is no Victorian nostalgia in Gerald Scarfe’s concept, instead there are uncluttered engaging designs, imaginatively lit by John Rayment, which have a modern enchantment.

In the opening family Christmas scene there are humorous examples of ghastly relations like lecherous Grandpa (Adam Pudney) and his girlfriend Mrs V.Aggra (Tamarin Stott) to appeal to adults and the magical character Drosselmeyer, fantastically performed by Daniel Jones producing engaging toys such as the Pierrot of Laurent Liotardo, to appeal to the many children in the audience captivated by the central character of Clara, superbly danced by Maria Kochetkova —a great asset to ENB.

The Christmas tree grows and battle commences between the brave Nutcracker of Yat-Sen Chang and Max Westwell’s Mouse King. The excellent dancers jump out of a giant fridge as Jack Frosts and snowflakes swirling into the Kingdom of Sweets.

Delicious variations including the elegant Prince of Zhanat Atymtayev and the Sugar Plum Fairy of Sarah Mcllroy, the martial arts Chinese take away of Juan Rodrigues and Nicholas Reeves, the virile Russian Bear of Pedro Lapetra, a reliable performance by the Arts Educational School pupils as bonbons and, in an homage to Roland Petit, Begona Cao in a sensuous Arabian dance surrounded with men manipulating feather fans all make this a show well worth viewing. With such a good company of dancers also catch their Alice in Wonderland and Giselle after Christmas.