English National Ballet’s new Nutcracker *****
The English National Ballet’s Nutcracker has, over the past few years, looked tired and in dire need of reworking, something its new director, Aaron S. Watkin, has rectified with a sparkling new production which is far superior to the previous offering.
With choreography by Watkin and Arielle Smith, this staging has more narrative cohesion – there are numerous clever links between the first and second acts – giving the entire ballet a clearer storyline. Sweets play a big part in the story: Clara tastes them in Drosselmeyer’s sweetshop in a prologue which sets the scene; they are part of the Act I party and, most importantly, the dances in Act II are all sweet-themed, rather than pure national dances. (In the original detailed scenario that choreographer Petipa wrote for Tchaikovsky, the dances were named ‘Chocolate’, ‘Coffee’ and ‘Tea’. Watkin gives a nod to this with dances based on Spanish nougat, Middle Eastern sahlab and Chinese candied fruit.)
The sets and costume designs are by Dick Bird. Set in Edwardian times, there is a definite Mary Poppins vibe in the prologue, complete with dancing chimney sweeps and protesting suffragettes. There is also an evil Fagin-type shopkeeper with his accompanying retinue of young pickpockets – and later in the story he morphs into the Rat King.
