Since it was founded in 1950, English National Ballet has presented a Nutcracker at Christmas. It’s a tradition wisely upheld by new artistic director, Aaron S. Watkin. The current production, by Wayne Eagling which premiered in 2010, has by some quirk of fate lasted more years than any of its predecessors ever managed. In over four decades watching various versions of this ballet, I have seen very few which have proved entirely satisfactory. Eagling’s ranks low down in my estimation despite the many tweaks and changes made over the years.
But, before the curmudgeon in me takes hold, let’s focus on the good. What an absolute pleasure to watch such a high standard of dancing across all ranks of the company whilst seated in the beautiful London Coliseum, listening to Tchaikovsky’s glorious music played by the English National Ballet Philharmonic. On the opening night, guest conductor Daniel Parkinson took the baton and the score sounded fresh and crisp.
I do wonder who this production was aimed at when it was created. Possibly at those who can see in the dark – both acts are woefully underlit rendering events quite difficult to follow. It was hard to engage with any of the characters. Just as I began to get a sense of who Clara was, the role was taken over by an adult dancer who then danced with two men who are dancing the same role at different times, I think: unnecessarily confusing. Too much appears to happen without reason or consequence. Often the action feels at odds with the music and we are left with a string of ‘so what’ moments, such as the Mouse King exiting the end of the battle scene holding the canon ball. The ice-skating scene early in Act 1 is pretty, but it steals time away from establishing the main characters. Dramatic focus is in short supply and again it’s through no fault of the dancers.
I believe a successful production of The Nutcracker should appeal to a child’s sense of fantasy, reawaken that in any adult and keep all entertained. Apart from Michael Coleman’s wonderfully characterised Grandfather, there weren’t many laughs to be had in the party scene. The late Peter Farmer designed the current sets and elegant costumes to replace the cartoon fantasy world conjured up by Gerald Scarfe in the previous incarnation. Farmer went for a traditional look and the result is pleasant, yet unlikely to spark a child’s imagination. His work would be better viewed under a different lighting scheme.
Speaking of children, those of Tring Park were well prepared and well employed both dancing on stage and proudly singing from a side box with a real sense of occasion. As they sang, we saw a blizzard of dancing from the well drilled corps de ballet of beautifully costumed snowflakes. The scene was marred only by some overstrained facial expressions and those annoying mice. I do wish they had more menace: maybe they need more ‘rat’ about them.
The stage feels strangely bare in Act 2 and the idea of the puppet theatre setting doesn’t convince. Warm applause was gained for the national dances and especially for the Waltz of the Flowers, admirably led by Ivana Bueno, Chloe Keneally, Ken Saruhashi and Lorenzo Trossello, most of whom will take over the leading roles in alternate casts.
The real magic of the evening had begun in Act 1 as Sangeun Lee and Gareth Haw, playing Clara and the Nephew, gazed into each other’s eyes – what a beautiful partnership: their belief momentarily sweeping aside all my reservations about the production.
In the Act 2 Grand Pas de Deux, they transported us further. Lee is regal, yet there is a warmth to her movements which extend, melt and fold beautifully. Haw is an attentive partner who dances with a pleasing, unforced manner. Both gave excellent accounts of their solos and, like Daria Klimentova and Vadim Muntagirov in this production before them, they have a chemistry which is uplifting to watch. They generated real excitement, and credit here should also go to Richardson in the pit who conducted at a brisk pace for most of the evening. Let’s hope this signals a turning of the tide away from the slow tempi favoured by some dancers that, for too long, has had a kind of blood-sucking effect on ballet.
For the seasoned Nutcracker-goer or for the uninitiated, everyone deserves to see a better production (and one that keeps the music of the apotheosis intact,) but there is still plenty here to enjoy. As English National Ballet approaches its 75th anniversary, it would be fitting to celebrate with a brand-new version: one that matches the enchanting score and does full justice to the efforts of all those who bring their excellence to the stage.
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