English National Ballet Nutcracker Review
December 11, 2025 | London Coliseum – London, England
The famous opening strains of Tchaikovsky’s music lift from the orchestra pit as the lights dim on a hushed and expectant audience seated in the gorgeous auditorium of the London Coliseum.
Through the gauze we have our first glimpse of the incredibly innovative staging and scenery that will impress again and again as the production progresses. Set and costume design by Dick Bird is phenomenal. The attention to detail, but also the continual moments of surprise, pleasure, gasps and giggles. The smooth melting from magical scene to scene is flawless.
Nutcracker, a historical treasure of a ballet, has been beautifully reimagined by Aaron S. Watkin and Arielle Smith with such careful attention to tradition, along with bright imaginative new inclusions and delightful nuances.
These details allowing the company’s impressively strong ballet technique to shine along with engaging mime and storytelling.
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English National Ballet Nutcracker Review
Drosselmeyer, animatedly played by Junor Souza, is engrossed in his workshop as he puts together the Nutcracker. Child Clara, danced by Delilah Wiggins, is gorgeously expressive from the first moment we see her sampling a sugar plum in Drosselmeyer’s Emporium.
We move seamlessly to an atmospheric wintry street scene where immaculately dressed townsfolk browse the seasonal stalls while snow falls. Excited children darting in and about add great charm to every scene they appear in – including as mice, gingerbread and Liquorice Allsorts in the Land of Sweets and Dreams.
In the warmly lit salon on Christmas Eve, complete with a curved grand central staircase, a tall Christmas tree lights up the corner and a ball scene, elaborately costumed, takes place. It is a delightful scene full of play, gift-giving and action in every corner of the stage.
It is of course here that Clara is gifted the Nutcracker by Drosselmeyer and she dances excitedly with him, devastated when her siblings fight over and break him. But sorrow is not for long as the wild and eccentric character mends the Nutcracker with a touch of magic.
There are plenty of fore-glimpses into the Land of Sweets and Dreams here, including a miniature scene of the Ice Realm displayed within a glass cabinet which later will dazzle effectively into life in seconds from a lonely, gnarled tree trunk blossoming with shimmering icicles. It is accompanied by a choir of children standing in the front box singing to the Snowflake Waltz, adding yet another layer of charm as the Snowflakes swirl across the stage.
There is clever play on the chime of midnight as Child Clara is pulled off stage on the sofa, passing the baton to Adolescent Clara (danced by Ivana Bueno) who begins her journey into the magical world, shocked at her own strength when she defeats the Mouse King.
Clara and her Nutcracker Prince – Paulo Rodrigues – fall in love during a beautiful duet, illuminated on the stage by the dark ethereal background in their white costumes. They step into the seahorse-led sleigh and rise into the sky in a fabulous end to Act I.
This production interestingly follows the original 19th century synopsis with Act II being a celebration of sweets from around the world.
Particularly enchanting was again the bright enchanting set design with ornate tents, like old-fashioned sweet shop jars, framing the stage and providing a place for the various sweets to sit and watch the divertissements.
A mention has to be made of Sahlab (Egyptian hot orchid root milk with cinnamon) danced by Minju Kang, Jose Maria Lorca Menchόn and Elvis Nudo. Entrancing flowing movement and again, exquisite costuming, particularly the billowing sleeves of milk!
There’s a never-ending display of inventive scenery and props to delight us throughout Act II. A huge box of Turron was wheeled on and opened to reveal dancers. And the audience was of course thrilled to see lead Principal dancers Sangeun Lee and Gareth Haw in the iconic roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier.
Coming to a satisfactory end as it must, Child Clara asleep on the sofa stretches awake, her movement echoed by Adolescent Clara who melts into the shadows. Clara hugs the Nutcracker doll reliving her adventures in her mind while magic dust darts around the stage.
English National Ballet’s Nutcracker is truly delightful production that will set imaginations of all ages alight.
Featured Photo of English National Ballet‘s Ivana Bueno as Clara and Paulo Rodrigues as Nutcracker Prince in Aaron S. Watkin and Arielle Smith’s Nutcracker. © Photography by ASH.
