Sir Peter Wright’s world-famous production of the classic Christmas tale has returned to the Birmingham Hippodrome in all its’ dazzling Christmassy glory.
The Nutcracker is sheer delight, and there was much cheer and excitement as the curtain went up to reveal the spectacular new set, full of striking colours and Christmas sparkle.
The set has had an extensive re-design and the scale of the opening scene is jaw dropping-ly astounding. A beautiful Victorian home decked in vibrant reds and an amazing Christmas tree creating the magic of Christmas in Victorian times.
The story follows Clara, given a Nutcracker toy on Christmas Eve, which she believes has magical powers. You will marvel at the elegance and poise of the ballerinas, the beautiful Rina Fuchigai as Clara is a joy to watch.
Act 2’s opening scene is even better with Clara transported to a magical world, where toy soldiers come to life and she meets dancers from different lands. Here you will see the bigger ballet set pieces of the Sugar Plum Fairies. Even if you didn’t know it, many of you will be familiar with Tchaikovsky’s music, played live by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia.
My favourite scene is when the set is transformed into a Winter Wonderland. You cannot take your eyes off Yijing Zhang as the Snow Fairy – her performance and costumes are of utter beauty. As are the company of ballerinas who follow her. I’m sure everyone in the audience was starstruck by the sheer magnitude of talent on stage. Especially Celine Gittens and Brandon Lawrence who played the Sugar Plum Fairy and The Prince (in our performance) who were an utter delight.
This iconic ballet is a fitting festive feast for audiences young and old, with an orchestral masterpiece to match. Don’t miss out!
Tickets can be booked now by telephone on 0844 338 5000 (Mon-Fri 10am-6pm excluding any bank holidays) or online at www.birminghamhippodrome.com. Performances of The Nutcracker take place until 10 December.
Review was written by Anita Champaneri for DLUXE.
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