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Sarah Frater's rating
, Gaudy as ever knickerbocker-glory show
By
Sarah Frater
11 Dec 2006
ENB has had a stylish makeover of late. Sleek graphics and black-and-white photos now grace its posters and programmes - a new "visual ident" as the marketeers call it. However, its Christmas Nutcracker is as gaudy as ever.
Gerald Scarfe's design-dominated production is not so much a ballet as a moving cartoon, with vivid costumes, exaggerated shapes and some sensational wigs and headdresses, all of which make more of an impression than the almost non-existent choreography.
There have been some adjustments to the action since last year, with the Nutcracker and the Prince now two dancers rather than one, a new Chinese dance and characters from the family party in Act I now transmogrified into the Sweetieland characters of Act II. It makes little difference to this knickerbocker-glory production.
Still, Daria Klimentov· makes a gracious Sugar Plum Fairy, and Erina Takahashi and Arionel Vargas are a smiling Clara and Nutcracker. Indeed, the whole company looked cheerful, probably because of the news that ENB is to have a brand-new full-length ballet next year.
• Nutcracker until 24 December, then Alice in Wonderland (28 Dec-7 Jan), and Giselle (10-13 Jan). Info: 0870 145 0200; www.ballet.org.uk
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Reader views (3)
I'm not entirely sure what designer Gerald Scarfe was on, but I want some. The first act was decidedly surreal with the mice wearing fuchsia leopard-print unitards with black gasmasks and Mickey Mouse ears, the toy soldiers looking like Gulf War rejects (the "parachuting" soldiers got a bit of a laugh), and the remark above was spot-on when referring to the Toymaker as "Elvis Drosselmeyer" with a sparkly black outfit that wouldn't go amiss in Las Vegas, and stage presence to match; which was just as well because sadly the whole cast was very much let down by Christopher Hampson's lackluster and unimaginative choreography.
The orchestra were brilliant and played with a passion that was sadly not matched by the dancing; the initial pas de deux between the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier immediately following the Waltz of the Flowers (which thankfully was very well done) was particularly stilted, wooden and uninspired - which sadly carried over into the beginning of the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Thankfully though, her Dance suddenly came to life about halfway through when the Fairy was finally allowed to actually shine and show what she was really capable of - and her following pas de deux with her Cavalier was far better.
Overall an interesting and rather avant-guarde take on the traditional ballet; wonderful music, some inspired if somewhat surreal scenery (the Snowflakes come dancing out of a giant fridge) and costumes; shame about the unimaginative choreography.
- Arkady Rose, Walthamstow, London, 18/12/2006 16:05
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I would have instead called this Clara's First Trip, as it made the costumes and set make more sense. Clara comes home from college and decides to chemically improve her holiday visit. With all of the wacky guests "dropping" in her folks' house, there's no doubt she's having a great time! Her uncle Elvis Drosselmeier gives her a toy nutcracker, which she obsesses over in a way that should have surely alerted her parents to her mental state. Too wired to sleep, she returns to the living room after everyone else has gone to bed, only to discover the Christmas tree glows and glows, then grows and grows! Later on she has fights with giant mice, sees her Nutcracker come to life, and then goes on a magical journey to Sugar Plum Land, where she watches snowflakes dancing. Eventually, she flies away on a paper crane with her Nutcracker man, and thus ends another fine holiday.
Overall, the choreography was weak and missed the emotional high points of the music, but if I were looking for something to take a child to I would probably feel safe with this - the color and motion on stage would prove engaging enough. I felt disappointed overall myself. I'll go across Covent Garden next year and see the Royal Ballet gets it right.
- Tonnvane Wiswell, Putney, England, 18/12/2006 11:04
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beautiful dancing by Erina Takahashi and Lisa Phobert.The little children in act 1 where adorable and very expressive.the snow scene dancers were on top form.The sets were bright and impressive.The Arabian Dance was the highlight of the show along with theRussian Bear
- Karen, nottinghamshire england, 15/12/2006 23:09
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