The Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House review: Unfailingly enchanting

It doesn’t matter how many times you see this show, it’s absolutely magical
Tristram Kenton
Deborah Weiss24 November 2021

It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve seen The Nutcracker - it is cloaked in a massive dose of magic and festive spirit. Sir Peter Wright’s 1984 production, with Julia Trevelyan Oman’s sparkling, 19th century designs, never seems to diminish with the passage of time. It is one of the best, most traditional Nutcrackers, that ticks the boxes for children and adults alike.

At this performance, the 501st by the Royal Ballet, the lead roles were taken by both established dancers alongside some debuts. The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House was back to full force after last year’s pandemic paring down. Under the baton of Koen Kessels, Tchaikovsky’s glorious score sounds exhilarating. On stage, the cast has mostly returned to a full corps de ballet and the Act II divertissements have been restored. Only Will Tuckett’s 2020 revised Battle Scene lacks the children that filled the stage so sweetly.

Set in the home of the Stahlbaum family and focusing on Clara, their daughter, it’s a story that inflames the imagination and transports the viewer from Christmas parties to snow scenes and alternative worlds. Herr Drosselmeyer, the local toymaker and magician, has his own agenda and aims to release his nephew, Hans Peter, from a terrible curse. And in this production, we are led to believe that what is supposedly Clara’s dream, has an element of reality in the final, happy moments of the ballet.

Gary Avis as Drosselmeyer
Tristram Kenton

Act I includes a goose-bump inducing transformation scene with a Christmas tree that will surely wow an audience of any age, a battle between mice and soldiers that may cause anxiety though joy will follow, and a stage full of dancing snowflakes that move in massive, swirling flurries. This all requires strength, precision and stamina which the vast corps de ballet have in spades.

Newly promoted principal Anna Rose O’Sullivan is a charming, feisty Clara, her polished technique complementing her instinctive musicality. Her Nutcracker/Hans Peter, was Joseph Sissens, making his debut in the role. Whilst his burgeoning talent is obvious and he will no doubt surmount the challenges, there were a few tentative moments during the big pas de deux with O’Sullivan.

'The Nutcracker' Ballet performed by the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House, London,UK
Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Muntagirov as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince
Alastair Muir

Act II is a spectacle of gold, glitter and opulence in the Kingdom of Sweets, where the Sugar Plum Fairy (Marianela Nuñez) and her Prince (Vadim Muntagirov) reign supreme and the climax of the ballet is their Grand Pas de Deux. Nuñez and Muntagirov have become synonymous with superlative performances. Two of the greatest exponents of the classical repertoire, they are simply dazzling from beginning to end. As for Gary Avis as Drosselmeyer, he’s one of the greatest dance/actors of this generation.

Royal Opera House, to January 8, roh.org.uk

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