English National Ballet, Nutcracker (2023) review ★★★★★

The brainchild of former English National Ballet artistic director Wayne Eagling, this Nutcracker has been going since 2010 and, frankly, it has overstayed its welcome.

It follows the broad outlines of the traditional story: at a Christmas Eve party young Clara is given a nutcracker doll by her godfather, Drosselmeyer. That night she dreams the nutcracker comes to life, fights a battle with some dastardly mice, and whisks her off through soft snowfall to a land of wonders.


English National Ballet in Nutcracker. Photo: © Laurent Liotardo
Wayne Eagling freely changed quite a lot and, while some of his innovations are very successful, others are bizarre and downright confusing.

On the plus side, the story opens with a prologue set in young Clara’s charming duck-egg blue bedroom as she excitedly gets ready for the party. Then the curtain goes up on jolly people skating on the ice outside the family home as the snow gently falls. It's a promising scene.

The party has its full complement of excited children, a well-drilled group of students from Tring Park School, with Millicent Honour as the child Clara on press night. There’s a Christmas tree, of course, much cavorting by the adults, and a gift-bearing St Nicholas, but the whole thing is poorly lit, which rather dims the general jollity.


English National Ballet in Nutcracker. Photo: © Laurent Liotardo
On the questionable side, Eagling has the titular nutcracker split into two characters. One moment Clara is dancing with the masked nutcracker (Junor Souza), the next with Drosselmeyer’s handsome nephew, only to return to the nutcracker.

And later Clara and the Nephew morph into Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince, which is strange as Act II doesn’t take place in the Kingdom of Sweets, as in traditional versions of the ballet, but rather in a dusty, shabby theatre.

Annoyingly, the mice and their hyperactive King – a good turn by James Streeter – keep coming back when you really wish they’d go away.



ADMI

Artists of English National Ballet in Nutcracker. Photo: © Laurent Liotardo

So why should you watch ENB’s Nutcracker? Why, for the dancing, of course.The company is in great form and to the last snowflake they perform with commitment and artistry.

I was particular interested to see ENB’s new star pair of Sangeun Lee and Gareth Haw (pictured top), who followed the director Aaron S Watkin from Dresden to London. And they more than met my high expectations.

READ OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH SANGEUN LEE AND GARETH HAW HERE

Tall and willowy, Lee changes from a convincingly childish dream Clara into a properly regal and gracious Sugar Plum Fairy, her long limbs drawing sublime classical lines. As her Prince, Royal Ballet trained Gareth Haw, himself an elegant dancer with a powerful jump and soft landings, is the perfect partner, safe and attentive, and making short work of tricky lifts.They look good and dance well together.

Elsewhere the well-drilled ensemble brought flair to the Dance of the Snowflakes and the Waltz of the Flowers; and there were enjoyable turns by Julia Conway in the Mirliton divertissement and an athletic, high-jumping Erik Woolhouse as the lead Cossack.

Tchaikovsky’s miraculous music was thrillingly played live by the English National Ballet Philharmonic under Daniel Parkinson’s baton.

Age Guidance: 5+

Under-16s half-price