English National Ballet’s The Nutcracker at London’s Coliseum
London Coliseum
Opens 12 December 2024
Box office: 020 7845 9300
This festive season, join Clara on a fantastical adventure where anything is possible. Embark on a journey full of colour and wonder as English National Ballet brings Nutcracker to life with over 100 dancers and musicians.
Choreographed by English National Ballet’s Artistic Director, Aaron S. Watkin, and Olivier Award-winner Arielle Smith, this new interpretation of the classic festive ballet combines exquisite dancing with spectacular sets and costumes designed by Dick Bird. English National Ballet Philharmonic perform Tchaikovsky’s iconic score live.
One of our previous visits gives you an incling of what you might encounter.
It’s Christmas Eve in Edwardian London. Clara and her mother are shopping at Drosselmeyer’s Sweets & Delights Emporium where she meets an enchanted Nutcracker doll. They take home liquorice all-sorts, nougat, marzipan and of course, sugarplums, to delight their party guests. As music and laughter fill the house, Clara has a magical sugar plum vision, sparking an adventure in which she bravely defends her home from the Rat King before discovering a dazzling ice realm and its Queen. Step out of the ordinary and follow Clara as she travels to the Land of Sweets & Delights where the Sugar Plum Fairy has arranged a grand celebration in her honour.
A star filled eyes evening…
Wednesday 11 December 20…
On a foggy cold night in London Town, a young man and a young woman from Putney ended their hard days work and made their way to the train station as they needed to travel into central London… for a fabulous evening… with lots of star in the eyes… and on the stage…
Indeed we went to the ballet… for the Premiere of the Nutcracker from the English National Ballet.
That sentence could have been told 100 hundreds years ago, in fact we felt Mr Dickens looking over our shoulder as we wrote.
The trains were busy filled full of people leaving work and a good amount looking forward to an evening of Christmas merriment.
In the dark night obscured in dense fog we arrived in front of the London Coliseum which overhangs the street thanks to its masterful frontage from the early nineteenth century.
The audience was filled full of girls… no the word “ladies” should be more appropriate in this case… ladies who were just waiting for the magic to begin… even this young lady from Putney who came to meet her nutcracker…
From a male perspective Michael can say quite honestly he just had a wonderful evening, a magical story, beautiful artistry and some astounding dancing, and yes it made him feel very Christmassy and it was fantastic to see so many smiling faces that were genuinely dreamy, taken by the magic of it all.
So what about her? The miss who wanted to dream… at least for one night?
She stood suspended in a moment of beauty. These tiny little gorgeous things and she could hear their shoes on the stage?… an unforgettable moment with beautiful lifts which matched perfectly the music played by a great orchestra to warm up hearts and glowing spirits. A pure moment of grace!
The Nutcracker is indeed a ballet made for Christmas but The English National Ballet has certainly added some modernity and we were pleased to see so much majesty and purity.
The harmony between Clara (Daria Klimentová the Lead Principal) and the nutcracker (Vadim Muntagirov the Lead Principal) certainly touched hearts and minds. Indeed Klimentova and Muntagirov danced it with passion and character.
The costumes are spectacular and made by 400 Swarovski elements sewn onto each of the nine Sugar Plume Fairy costumes. The shoes, jewels, tights and wigs are especially made for the Nutcracker (There were 24 people working on the costumes; three wig makers; one head dressmaker; one milliner; two dyers/distresses)….
An amazing work for an amazing show!
Leaving the performance the lady and gentleman, their heads full of stars passed the Christmas tree in the foyee decorated with small ballerinas, something that turned out to be something of a photocall. As a reminder that every dream comes true if we believe in it…
Let the magic enter and don’t hesitate to buy two tickets: one for you and one for her… as the perfect Christmas gift and let the magic put a smile on your face, it worked for us…
Please do read more of our Society Editorial