The Nutcracker


Since the original Nutcracker made its debut in the early 1800s, there have been countless new productions of the story, each taking Tchaikovsky's score as source material and then creating a unique presentation of the ballet around it. This involves different sets, lighting, and of course choreography. Some may not even use all the music, abridging it to suit the story they wish to tell.

Likewise, the telling of the basic story itself may vary, with some adding extra features to the plot or omitting others. Constant elements tend to be a young girl Clara, who receives a Nutcracker Doll as a gift (some versions, incredibly, do not even set the story at Christmas time). Later the Doll is brought to life, and Clara shrinks to the size of the toys, before helping them win a battle against an army of rats with the aid of a cannily thrown ballet shoe. The Nutcracker Doll then turns into a handsome prince, and he and Clara travel through magical lands, witnessing a host of different dances. This culminates in the appearance of the ballerina of Clara's dreams – the Sugar Plum Fairy. The magical world then melts away, and Clara awakes back at home.

With these basic elements, producers have presented many different interpretations of the tale. Although dressed as a children's story, the original version has distinctly dark overtones; innocent events are mixed with the sinister, and reality and imagination meet head on. A more modern understanding of the story is that it represents Clara's journey through adolescence: she begins as a child playing with toys, and ends as a woman with her doll replaced by the romantic figure of the handsome prince.

Regardless of interpretation, however, the ballet is most constantly recognised as a celebration of dance, and of Christmas time, as a sparkling and joyous family event with arguably the most famous and popular dance score ever written. When Sir Peter Wright came to produce Birmingham Royal Ballet's version of the story, his motivation was simply to create the warmest, most magical ballet that the audience had ever experienced. 'It was created just after the Company had relocated to Birmingham from London', the former Birmingham Royal Ballet Director explains. 'I did it to show my gratitude to the City of Birmingham for its wonderful support and it is dedicated to them.'

As a result, you won't see this production of the ballet anywhere else in the UK. There are practical reasons for this as well; historically the Company has only ever toured the ballet to the Lowry in Salford and Sadler's Wells Theatre in London, as these are the only two other stages the Company visits that are big enough to hold the special effects-laden sets. As for the rest of the world, apart from Birmingham Royal Ballet this particular production is currently only performed by one company in Japan (nearly 6,000 miles away from the UK) and one in Australia (nearly 9,000 miles), so if you're a home audience and you don't see it at Birmingham Hippodrome this Christmas, you've got some travelling to do!

ENDS