Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreography, Direction, Scenario and Costume Design: David Nixon CBE
Northern Ballet’s The Nutcracker at Leeds Grand Theatre is every glorious melting moment of a festive delight. Whilst some may revel in pantomime and others in the cautionary tale, A Christmas Carol, for others this enthralling ballet is the beginning of Christmas and with very good reason. Somehow avoiding being in any way saccharine, this is pure enchantment.
From the outset and as the lights went down, whoops of delight rang out across the auditorium from the children in the audience as they spied party guests waiting to be admitted into the grand room, bedecked for the Edward’s Christmas party. There is a distinctly regency feel to the sumptuous costumes of this production – a nod perhaps towards Jane Austen’s 250th year.
Once at the party, the daughter of the house, Clara, and her brother Frederick, are presented with a gift – a Nutcracker in the guise of a wooden toy soldier. This seems to be a talisman with magical properties – enough to capture Clara’s imagination in the most vivid way, for unable to sleep she creeps back downstairs after the party and is transported to another world. This one is inhabited by giant mice – and even more wonderfully, by a host of children as tiny mice. The children, from Northern Ballet’s Training programmes are uniformly fabulous and every moment that they’re on the stage is clearly an absolute delight to them and one which radiates to the audience.
Rachael Gillespie, as Clara is enchanting – her wide-eyed wonderment is perfectly reflected in the romance that develops with the Nutcracker Prince, Harris Beattie. Their fleet-footed innocence in their pas de deux, as the snow falls gently in fairy land is utterly captivating, so when they are further transported on a sleigh towards the stars, it seems that anything is possible.
The dances of the elements, Fire, Water and Air, are each stunning in their variety – the athletic and acrobatic Fire (Kevin Poeung), contrasts beautifully with the swirling flow of Water, (Amber Lewis, Miguel Teixeira and Bruno Serraclara) as they cascade and ripple across the stage.
The Sugar Plum Fairy’s dance, is of course, quite the showstopper and showcases David Nixon’s choreography at its most delectable. Saeka Shirai’s performance entirely does it justice. Coming in the final act, which is rich with stunning solos and duets, this is like a selection box which only contains favourites.
Having a full orchestra in the pit, conducted with pace and great animation by Yi Wei, elevated this wonderful evening still further and provoked one of the biggest cheers of the night.
It is no exaggeration to suggest that this wonderfully nostalgic ballet, with a score that plays like the very best Christmas playlist, will be treasured like the very best of gifts.
Runs until 4th January 2026
