There is nothing quite like a lavish Nutcracker to herald in the Christmas season, and the opening performance at the Royal Opera House offered just that. Sir Peter Wright’s production is a perennial, premiered in 1984 and now celebrating its 523rd performance at Covent Garden under the masterful baton of Andrew Litton. Wright is a man of the theatre who knows well how to structure the drama to make the magic work. The narrative keeps the dark heart of E. T. A. Hoffman’s original tale but has a suitable heartwarming climax. The Mouse Queen's curse has turned Herr Drosselmeyer’s nephew, Hans-Peter, into a grotesque Nutcracker doll. To ensure his release, he must not only kill the Mouse King but also find true love despite his unfortunate appearance. Herr Drosselmeyer decides that this Christmas is the moment to set his plan in motion to rescue his nephew and offer Clara a great adventure.
The ballet offers two pairs of lead roles: the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince as well as young Clara, Sae Maeda, and Joseph Sissens in the dual role of Hans-Peter/The Nutcracker. They get the larger share of stage time featured strongly through most of the two acts bringing a sense of unity to the ballet. Maeda, as young Clara, on the brink of adolescence, danced with fresh unsophisticated charm. The transformative moment, as a rippling gauze turns the domestic setting to a snowy landscape and Clara meets her Hans-Peter, is celebrated in a duet of infectious joy. Sissens, always an impressive dancer added dollops of charm. He later has the chance to prove his dramatic skills in a lively interpretation of the complex mime where he recounts his rescue by Clara.
The cherry on the top was the grand pas de deux by Fumi Kaneko and William Bracewell. It was a moment of bliss to luxuriate to one of Tchaikovsky’s most beautiful adagios and watch two dancers at the top of their game. The exquisite finish of Kaneko’s dovetailed fifths and the poetry in her arms complemented by Bracewell’s ease and confidence. His partnering seems effortless and his solo was spiced with cut-glass batterie, soaring jetes and beautifully timed turns. Kaneko is so suited to the fragility and filigree detail in the famous solo. She places each foot with care and disguises the virtuosity with infinite charm to the delight of an enthusiastic audience.
Mariko Sasaki, as the Rose Fairy, dancing with finely executed skill, added to the sweet delights in a glow of rosy pink. Julia Trevelyan Oman’s costumes are a masterpiece of detail especially the party dresses in Act 1, but I find the surfeit of cream in the Kingdom of Sweets borders on the indigestible and the Rose Fairy’s pink tutu adds a welcome contrast, as do the divertissement in their bold primary colours.
The national dances fielded a slew of brilliant performances. The Arabian had Melissa Hamilton and Lukas B. Brændsrød executing exotic lifts and poses with regal insouciance in a breathtaking performance. Joonhyuk Jun and Taisuke Nakao timed the fast and furious choreography of the Chinese dance to the nano second while Francisco Serrano and Giacomo Rovero, joined by Sissens, revelled in a robust Russian dance.
Wright’s choreography, notably for the women, is traditional rather than innovative and well suited to the purpose but a little flash of Christmas sparkle to the Mirlitons and Flowers would not go amiss. However, the children’s dance in Act 1 is cleverly varied and danced with delight by the young students. They also did well as whisker-twitching mice although Wright’s battle plan seems somewhat touch and go. Fortunately, we are never in any doubt that good will ultimately triumph.
There are so many variations on the Nutcracker theme every Christmas. Wright’s version succeeds largely due to the story line which packages the wealth of dance so well. Gary Avis in a central role as Herr Drosselmeyer is the chief protagonist here. He both opens and closes the performance and does it all in a shower of gold dust and with charismatic presence. At the party, Avis delights in his magic sleight-of-hand as he manages the conjuring tricks with professional ease. Like the male lion marking out his territory Christopher Saunders as Dr Stahlbaum takes his position as head of the household leaving Avis in control of the magic world. No matter how good your principal dancers are a top rated performance needs the talents of company stalwarts, like these two to complete the roster. A word of praise, too, for Daichi Ikarashi as Drosselmeyer’s assistant who makes the most of every opportunity the small role allows. The entire company pulled their weight and there was never the sense that this was just another Nutcracker.
The final breathless moments of the ballet where Clara accepts the warmth of Hans-Peters’ cloak, then shows him the way to Herr Drosselmeyer’s house, the reunion of uncle and nephew, and the prospect of a happy future for the young couple prove Wright’s theatrical skill as all boxes are ticked sending a delighted audience home.
