Scottish Ballet's The Nutcracker Enchants Newcastle Theatre Royal
We said goodbye to winter with a stunning production of The Nutcracker by Scottish Ballet
For the final dates of their winter tour, Scottish Ballet brought their production of The Nutcracker to Newcastle Theatre Royal. While it feels almost illegal to have Christmas trees on display in February, this beautiful ballet was a joyous celebration of wintertime.
In this much-loved story and classic fairytale, Clara is on a magical journey in her own imagination as she drifts off to sleep on Christmas Eve. She meets the Nutcracker Prince, takes on the Rat King, sees snowflakes dance, and is whisked into the Land of Sweets by the Sugar Plum Fairy!
Scottish Ballet’s production honoured the timeless classic in so many ways. The opening scenes were both humorous and thoughtful and contrasted perfectly with the fantastical dances in Clara’s dreams.
The costumes were exquisite. Mixing traditional and contemporary designs, tulle and tutus in an array of colours meant each character is instantly recognisable and as they danced, the material moved to enhance the shapes they created. The Rat King’s costume and head were particularly impressive, and we wish he was on the stage for longer.
We tried to count how many rows of seats had to be removed in the stalls to fit the Scottish Ballet’s impressive orchestra into the theatre, and they quite rightly received their own applause. Their live performance of Tchaikovsky’s score was faultless.
The whole team of dancers was fantastic but Evan Loudon as The Nutcracker Prince took our breath away. His speed across the raked stage was impressive, especially as he remained so light on his feet.
Audience members of all ages declared their love for this ballet when the dancers took their final bows. To us, Scottish Ballet’s The Nutcracker felt like a dream, and certainly one we’ll never forget.
