Birmingham Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker Review
November 22, 2024 | Birmingham Hippodrome – Birmingham, England
There is no question The Nutcracker has become a staple of the holiday season for many. Companies across the globe put on the production with different twists and interpretations to help it stand out from others.
As one of the world’s most popular ballets, The Nutcracker can fall into the trap of becoming too familiar, and in this way, perhaps a bit boring.
Although Birmingham Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker does not stray far from the familiar and unexpected, it is not dull. It is joyful and vibrant, and the familiar look feels like a return to home, particularly for me as a Nutcracker super-fan.
In this case, home is the Stahlbaums’ gorgeous Victorian living room, which is drenched in rich, sumptuous reds.
Birmingham Royal Ballet's The Nutcracker Review
The production first premiered in Birmingham in 1990. It is the second Nutcracker production put together by Sir Peter Wright, Founding Director Laureate of Birmingham Royal Ballet, with his first being created for The Royal Ballet in 1984.
Now over 30 years old, the production hits all the traditional beats, but it does not look or feel tired. It’s recently had a £1 million refresh and rebuild, which has given it new life and brilliance.
John MacFarlane, one of Wright’s frequent collaborators, designed the production, and his work is one of the ballet’s greatest strengths.
Even for newcomers seeing The Nutcracker for the first time, they will surely feel warm and welcome when they enter the Stahlbaum’s drawing room. When the curtain rises, the audience lets out a breath of awe, taking in the grand living room and tall Christmas tree. As the servants light the tree, the lights in the theatre also glow brightly for a moment, drawing the audience further into the scene.
Although the production’s design is traditional in its Victorian inspiration, Wright implements a narrative choice that deviates from what many productions tend to do. He reimagines Clara as a teenage girl rather than a younger child.
It does not alter the story much, but it does allow for the casting of a company dancer rather than a child dancer, which in turn opens up new possibilities for the character’s choreographic participation in the story.
This production was one of the first to make this casting change, and I imagine it would have felt like a significant shift in industry at the time of its premiere. It’s a creative decision that I highly appreciate, as it gives Clara more freedom and elevates her presence to the same level as Drosselmeyer or the Sugar Plum Fairy.
Sofia Liñares is a beautiful Clara, evoking a childlike innocence throughout her performance.
At times she is frightened by the magic around her, at other times she is in awe and thrilled by what she sees.
Meanwhile, Drosselmeyer, performed by Max Maslen, is mysterious and otherworldly, especially as the party scene closes and the evening begins its magical journey.
When the living room grows by Drosselmeyer’s magic, MacFarlane’s design shines again. The bottom of the Christmas tree’s branches hang above one side of the stage, while a brightly lit, fiery hearth dominates the other side. It is an impressive set, and it is exciting to see the rats scurry in and out from the fireplace to do battle.
The only drawback of this design is the toy soldiers’ box, which remains onstage even after the soldiers come to life. Although empty, it takes up valuable space, limiting the battle choreography.
After the battle concludes, the choreography takes advantage of Clara’s older casting as she dances with the Prince, played by Yasiel Hodelín Bello. As they dance, the set transitions into the Land of Snow, and a canopy of bare branches looms over the snowflakes as they whisk Clara away.
Yu Kurihara delivers a lovely performance as the Snow Fairy, and the company does excellent work striking the balance between the delicate and the articulated movements that make the snow scene an exciting climax to the first act.
At the start of Act II, Drosselmeyer again helps bring the space to life, and the backdrop is a brilliant painted scene of stars and flowers. As it grows, it appears to be reflected on itself like a mirror, and it leaves the audience again in awe.
The divertissements bring fresh energy, with each vignette delivering a new feeling different from the one before.
The company’s broad range of talent is on display throughout the act, and it is clear the dancers are having as much fun as the audience watching them.
Clara also participates, and she joins the dancers with enthusiasm, literally jumping at the opportunity to dance with the others.
The only time I felt Clara’s participation may have detracted was in the Dance of the Mirlitons, where Clara has a featured solo. With limited time already given to the dancers in these divertissements, it would have been nice to see the four Mirlitons perform as a group more to watch their impressive coordination.
Wright’s second twist to the story, which I have not seen in other Nutcracker productions, is Clara ‘transforming’ into the Sugar Plum Fairy to perform the famous pas de deux. In a flurry of movement, Liñares is hidden away and replaced by Céline Gittens, who shines as the Sugar Plum Fairy alongside Bello as the Prince.
In this way, Liñares and Gittens play two versions of the same character. It is an interesting take on the story, but I like how it continues to make Clara a more central character.
Gittens is dazzling, and she and Bello execute the choreography with grace and skill, holding each balance for an extra breath and finishing each turn with poise.
The company as a whole gives a very strong performance. The dancers were polished and exuded confidence in each role.
Miki Mizutani shined as The Rose Fairy, nimbly acing the fast footwork with ease and control. The Harlequin (Shuailun Wu), Columbine (Rachele Pizzillo), and Jack-in-the-Box (Ryan Felix) also stood out to me, particularly for their ability to add depth to their robotic movements, making them a creepy, uncanny presence later in the ballet.
There were times when I felt the choreography missed the mark.
With Tchaikovsky’s ability to create emotional highs and lows in his music, there were some moments when the musical drama was high, but the movement fell flat. However, this was certainly not the case all the time, as there were plenty of other moments that took the audience’s breath away and perfectly matched the swells of the iconic score.
All in all, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker holds fast to tradition in many regards, and it is all the better for it. The production design captivates and draws the audience into each fantastical world. The company performs with confidence and clarity, making it easy for the audience to be swept away by the dance and the story.
At Birmingham Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker, everyone is welcome.
Featured Photo of Yu Kurihara as The Snow Fairy in Birmingham Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker, choreographed by Sir Peter Wright. Photo by Johan Persson.
