THE LOWRY, SALFORD – UNTIL 4 DECEMBER 2021
REVIEWED BY ANGELOS SPANTIDEAS
4****
Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker is a celebration of colours, fantasy and of course a lot of dancing with this rework of the original Nutcracker being reimagined for new audiences while maintaining the timeless and nostalgic effect of Tchaikovsky’s score.
For the first act, the story takes place at an orphanage with the choice of adult actors playing children paying off by the grand expressions and physicalities that transform the cast and convince the audiences of their youthfulness. Act 1 is dark and takes place on Christmas where the children are given gifts, the set is decorated in a depressive festive mood and the story is rich with subliminal messages of unfairness and mistreatment. Here we are introduced to our main two anti heroes, Sugar and Fritz who are the children of the owner of the orphanage. Both characters succeed at becoming instantly disliked, due to their spoiled behaviour and the way they are treating the other children. The main heroine, sweet and innocent Clara, finds a ventriloquist dummy nutcracker which by the end of the night comes to life and helps the children escape in a fantasy world, embarking their imaginary adventure at the frozen lake where the choreography is smooth, the stage is filled with snow and the dancers seem to be floating on stage. With Act 1 ending with Princess Sugar stealing the Nutcracker from Clara.
Although Act 2 is not as rich in story as Act 1, it is actually here where the audience can relish one of the most detailed and meticulously designed sets that changes constantly and is built upon layers of carefully constructed pieces that really bring the fantasy world to life. What can be compared to the brilliance of the staging is the intricate costumes, which embrace the characters and accentuate their characters without inhibiting the movement of the actors. The second Act is also filled with interesting characters that command attention from the second they get on stage, all inspired by sweets and candy, from the Liquorice Allsorts, to the over the top Knickerbocker Glory, the elegant Marshmallow Girls and the Gobstoppers. What is unfortunate, is that for Act 2, Clara who the audience has gotten to like and feel for, fades a bit to the background, with the exchanges of the Nutcracker, Princess Sugar and Prince Bon-Bon being in the spotlight. And while in the spotlight both Princess Sugar and Prince Bon-Bon are brilliant at giving a show stopping performance, with their facial expressions and their movements showing incredible versatility. With two little cupids helping Clara get to Sweetieland where the Nutcracker marries Princess Sugar, the fantasy comes to an end, the actors are brought back to reality where a happy ending brings Clara and the boy behind the Nutcracker to escape the orphanage.
Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker is an unconditionally brilliant masterpiece that marries unconventional ballet with refined aesthetics, sexual innuendos and a Christmas spirit. With no moment being anything but impressive and with a breathtaking attention to detail by the production this Christmas classic is a blueprint for how long established pieces can be re-envisioned into modern concepts without losing any of the enduring qualities of the original.