Nutcracker review – Wonka meets Mary Poppins in English National Ballet’s reboot
English National Ballet’s brand new production of the Nutcracker vastly improves on its previous version. It doesn’t come with a gimmick or drastic reinterpretation, only the sense that artistic director Aaron S Watkin has really thought things through – and hired a cracking designer, Dick Bird, to make the stage zing.
The setting is Edwardian London, a view of St Paul’s, chimney sweeps and suffragettes (very Mary Poppins), where magician Drosselmeyer owns a sweet emporium (very Willy Wonka) and is the person pulling all the strings. Getting ahead of Nutcracker’s famously unsatisfying narrative, Watkin and co-choreographer Arielle Smith lay breadcrumbs in the prologue for the later scenes, and make a good stab at weaving some coherence through the acts, with young Clara’s wish fulfilment story at the centre, dreaming of her older self and the Nutcracker prince flying off to the Land of Sweets in a carriage pulled by an ice-seahorse, no less.
The shift from the Christmas party scene (with its quirky dances that must be Smith’s work) into fantasy is nicely handled. Clara appears shrunken, Alice-style, as the world of toys expands to life-size. There’s a witty injection of surrealism, with dancing gingerbread men and a bomb made of Edam cheese. Some inspired projections too – watch out for the shadowy scurrying rats.
In the second act, instead of the oft-problematic national dances, we’re treated to a parade of global delicacies, including tanghulu (Chinese candied berries), the Egyptian drink sahlab, its costume like frothy folds of milk, and some very cute Liquorice Allsorts. Rentaro Nakaaki is a stand-out as a spinning, leaping Ukrainian poppy seed roll. Elsewhere there are fewer fireworks and some of the pas de deux feel underpowered – but this act is a series of climaxes which is always difficult to pace. There’s a sense of celebration nonetheless.
Watching the second cast, Ken Saruhashi makes an excellently eccentric Drosselmeyer; Katja Khaniukova a warm, eager Clara with a sweetly ardent Miguel Angel Maidana her prince; Precious Adams dazzles as a spiky Ice Queen at the centre of the Waltz of the Snowflakes; and Sugar Plum Fairy Sangeun Lee moves with careful spun-sugar delicacy. The whole thing feels familiar but fresh, colourful but still classy, sweet but not sickly. A solid success.
• At London Coliseum until 12 Jan
