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25 days to go

Sir Peter Wright’s opulent and magnificent production of The Nutcracker is one of BRB’s most popular ballets, and one of the best productions of the ballet in the world. Peter Wright created the production for the Company when Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet moved from London to Birmingham in 1990 and became Birmingham Royal Ballet. In only 17 days this November and December, BRB will be performing this two-hour festive treat 25 times!

For those of you who don’t know the story, here is a brief synopsis.

It is Christmas Eve in Clara’s house and all the family and their friends are gathering for a party, when the magician Drosselmeyer makes his entrance. He entertains the guests with tricks and gives the children presents, including a beautiful Nutcracker doll for Clara, and a box of toy soldiers for her brother, Fritz. Fritz steals the doll and breaks it, but Drosselmeyer uses his magic to mend it. After the party, all the guests leave and the family goes to bed. Clara however, unable to sleep, runs down stairs to play with her new doll.

At the stroke of midnight, Drosselmeyer appears and begins to weave a magic spell. As Clara watches, the world around her begins to grow (or perhaps she shrinks). The Christmas tree towers above her and the fireplace is like the door to a castle. Suddenly, King Rat leaps from the fireplace with his rodent followers and attacks her, but the toy soldiers and her wonderful doll magically spring to life to defend her. King Rat is defeated, but her beloved Nutcracker is hurt.

As she cries at the loss, he sits up and stretches; he has transformed into a handsome Prince and sweeps her off her feet to see the Snow Fairy in the land of snow. From there, she rides a great magical bird to the land of sweets where Drosselmeyer meets her. He summons up all sorts of fantastical characters from Russian Trepak dancers to Chinese tumblers who all dance for her. Finally, he brings the Sugar Plum Fairy to life, who dances a beautiful finale (the grand pas de deux) with the Nutcracker Prince. As the magical characters leave, Clara falls asleep and the world changes back to normal, she wakes up underneath the Christmas tree, with memories of a wonderful dream.

Click on the thumbnails below to see some pictures of The Nutcracker: