English National Ballet is to create a brand new production of family favourite The Nutcracker this Christmas, staged at the London Coliseum from 10 to 23 December.
ENB Artistic Director Wayne Eagling will choreograph a new ballet to Tchaikovsky’s famous score, setting the story in Edwardian London. This classic festive tale follows young Clara and her Nutcracker Prince as they journey through the Land of Snow to the extraordinary lands beyond, under the spell of the magician Drosselmeyer. Along the way they encounter characters including the Sugar Plum Fairy and the wicked Mouse King.
This new Nutcracker, created to celebrate the company’s 60th birthday, will be the 10th production of the ballet by ENB, which has performed the story every year since 1950. For the past eight years the company has presented Christopher Hampson’s version of the ballet, with its distinctive designs by cartoonist Gerald Scarfe.
Eagling’s new production features designs by Peter Farmer, who recently designed Swan Lake for ENB. The show will also gain some added sparkle as sponsor Swarovski will be providing crystals for the costumes and set.
ENB’s Christmas season at the London Coliseum also includes a revival of Rudolf Nureyev’s Romeo And Juliet, based on Shakespeare’s play, which runs from 5 to 15 January 2011.
CB