This festive season, Birmingham Royal Ballet will present two spectacular productions of The Nutcracker, enchanting audiences in both Birmingham and London.
Sir Peter Wright’s celebrated version of The Nutcracker, often hailed as the finest in the world, returns to Birmingham Hippodrome from Friday 21 November to Saturday 13 December. This year marks the 35th anniversary of its world premiere at the venue in 1990.
Following the Birmingham run, The Nutcracker will be performed at the Royal Albert Hall from Monday 29 to Wednesday 31 December. This version was created especially for the grandeur of the iconic London venue.
Paul James, Chief Executive of Birmingham Royal Ballet, said:
“We are very proud to be celebrating this iconic production’s 35th anniversary in Birmingham. Sir Peter Wright’s The Nutcracker has been performed over 600 times here in Birmingham and enjoyed by well over one million people across the Midlands and the UK, many of whom saw it as children and now bring their own families – a testament to its continuing popularity in Birmingham.
“Talking of enduring popularity, this year we return to the magnificent Royal Albert Hall once again with our specially created version of this classic festive tale featuring an on-stage orchestra and stunning projections that envelop the world famous hall.”
Gaynor Share, a regular audience member, shared her experience:
“The first ballet I ever took my daughter to see was The Nutcracker in 2000 when she was eight years old and it opened her mind to the joy that is the ballet. She will be 33 this year and even if we don’t attend any other performance in the year, we always attend The Nutcracker together.”
Sir Peter Wright, who celebrates his 99th birthday during the Birmingham run, originally gifted the production to the people of Birmingham as a thank you for welcoming the company when it relocated from London.
Audiences will follow Clara’s magical journey from her parents’ Christmas Eve party to a fantastical kingdom where she transforms into the Sugar Plum Fairy. The production features dancing snowflakes, a flying goose, magical Christmas trees, and over 150 costumes worn by 60 dancers.
The King Rat costume alone weighs 10 kilos, and the famous Christmas tree transformation scene requires 47 staff to complete. Nearly one tonne of dry ice is used across the run.
In 2022, The Nutcracker underwent a £1 million makeover, with updated sets and costumes by John Macfarlane. The production is accompanied by Tchaikovsky’s iconic score, performed live by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
