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Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Nutcracker 2019, Royal Albert Hall

28 Dec 19 – 31 Dec 19, 19:00 29 Dec 13:00 & 17:30; 30 Dec 14:00 & 19:00; 31 Dec 12:00 & 16:00 Dur.: 2 hours 10 mins inc one interval

Birmingham Royal Ballet brings its much-loved production of The Nutcracker to the Royal Albert Hall for a short run this winter

1 CW reader is interested
BRB The Nutcracker, Anniek Soobroy & Marion Rainer as Snowflakes, Steven Monteith as The Wind, photo Bill Cooper
BRB The Nutcracker, Anniek Soobroy & Marion Rainer as Snowflakes, Steven Monteith as The Wind, photo Bill Cooper
Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Nutcracker 2019, Royal Albert Hall Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Nutcracker 2019, Royal Albert Hall Teresa Guerreiro
In Partnership with the Royal Albert Hall


One of only two Nutcrackers announced for the coming Christmas season in London, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s superb Peter Wright production transforms the Royal Albert Hall into a magical place with just a few props and some truly outstanding digital projections by 59 Productions.


Unlike English National Ballet’s production, BRB’s The Nutcracker is entirely traditional and has been skilfully adapted to the specific conditions of the RAH, where the stage is a huge open platform, with no proscenium and no wings. It is, of course, danced to Tchaikovsky's gorgeous score, played live.


It starts at a Christmas Eve party in the drawing room of the Stahlbaums, a bourgeois family living somewhere in 19th century Germany. Much fun is had by all, including the tale's protagonist: the mysterious Drosselmeyer’s god-daughter, Clara – a child on the verge of adolescence.



Drosselemeyer’s present to Clara is the eponymous Nutcracker. She falls in love with her doll, who in her dream turns into a charming prince. After he leads the soldiers to victory over the scary rat army (with a little help from Clara herself), the pair are whisked to a magical winter wonderland by Drosselmeyer.


This is where the projections come into their own: when this production is danced in a proscenium theatre, through a trick of stagecraft Drosselmeyer makes the Stahlbaums’ Christmas tree magically grow and grow before our very eyes, symbolising the transition from the real world to the world of magic and dreams.



In the Royal Albert Hall that’s not possible, so as the actual tree is discreetly wheeled off, an ever-growing Christmas tree is projected onto the giant screens that flank the stage with mesmerising colour and definition. It appears to envelop us. It's an "ahhh" moment that really does work.



To make the storyline as clear as possible to even the youngest audience members, as well as giving some coherence to the disparate variations in Act II. a narration voiced by actor Simon Callow with a thick cod-German accent has been introduced. It’s supposed to be the voice of the mysterious Drosselmeyer, and it guides us through the key points of the plot.


BRB's dancers give it their all, despite their really punishing schedule, and the sheer artistry and vibrancy of their performances make this a very special treat indeed, and one that you may want to plan for well in advance given its very short run.


What Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Nutcracker 2019, Royal Albert Hall
Where Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AP | MAP
Nearest tube South Kensington (underground)
When 28 Dec 19 – 31 Dec 19, 19:00 29 Dec 13:00 & 17:30; 30 Dec 14:00 & 19:00; 31 Dec 12:00 & 16:00 Dur.: 2 hours 10 mins inc one interval
Price £31-£95
Website Click here to book



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Birmingham Royal Ballet

BRB

The Nutcracker

Royal Albert Hall

Peter Wright

59 Productions

Tchaikovsky

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