Royal Albert Hall, London.
29 December 2025.
Firmly lost in the limbo between Christmas and New Year’s, unsure of what day it was, I braved the outside for the first time post festivities to watch Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB)’s The Nutcracker, which had made its way to the Royal Albert Hall in London for a very limited run.
Typically, you know what you are getting with a production of The Nutcracker: a glorious ballet paired with beautiful music, wrapped up with an enjoyable bow of costumes, lights, and audience wonder. That said, this production cast a spell from start to finish.
From close-up magic performed by Drosselmeyer, danced by August Generalli, to projections by 59 Production that transport the audience to a faraway wintry kingdom, and snow falling on the audience, it was not just balletic but cinematic.
A large, lavish, and versatile space, the Royal Albert Hall is adapted for each show, concert, or awards ceremony held there, so I was intrigued to see what I would walk into.
Despite its limited run, December 29-31, BRB’s The Nutcracker took up residence as if it had been originally staged there, rather than touring from the Birmingham Hippodrome, where it had performed for many weeks prior. Upon entering, you passed many an audience member with a festive jumper or accessory and a smile on their face, the perks of a festive outing. Once seated, you have a chance to really lock in and admire the orchestra, situated above the stage, as several dancers entered to start building the world of The Nutcracker.
The opening scene sets the tone for the ballet, with joyous dance and vivid storytelling from the start, painting pictures as if from a storybook. Clara, played by Rosanna Ely for this performance, did not falter from start to final reverence.
Bringing a youthful and technically sound performance, she glided lightly across the stage, shared depth of character that moved the story along, and danced beautifully whether a pas de deux, solo, or ensemble section.
As the production got underway, foreshadowing the narrative, you were teased with large toy rats, family dynamics, with Fritz, played by Lawson Hateley, causing havoc only a younger brother could, the magic of the Nutcracker, and glimmers of romance and magic soon followed.
The end of the party saw Clara sneak downstairs to find the Nutcracker, and in true fairytale fashion, when the clock struck midnight, the magic really began.
The projection designs by 59 Productions were exceptional. Extending the magic of the performance far beyond the confines of the stage, projections elevated above stage right and left had the audience fly high across the snow-covered tree tops, into the inner workings of Drosselmeyer’s toy designs, and seamlessly integrated the screen into the performance.
This, married with the lighting by Peter Teigen, costumes and props by John Macfarlane, and setting and additional props by Dick Bird, added additional texture to The Nutcracker. With giant Christmas baubles lowered from the ceiling, metallic sheets that dressed the back of the stage, rotating to form grand windows, the set functioned to not only aid the audience be engulfed in the story but doubled as useful aids to help dancers with entrances and exits, conceal props, and set changes; you could tell this production had great synergy among the creatives.
Following the traditional pas de deux between Clara and the Nutcracker, we were transported to a wintry wonderland through projections and dynamic music, and lighting as the story gathered greater pace.
The Snow Fairy, performed by Yu Kurihara, with her attendants Frieda Kaden, Amelia Thompson, Eilis Small, Lucy Waine, the Winds performed by Gabriel Anderson, Enrique Bejarano Vidal, Haoliang Feng, Miles Gilliver, and the Artists of Birmingham Royal Ballet, making up the snowflakes, this section was a particular highlight. Set to classic scoring, with changes in lighting and visuals used to make it feel as if the temperature dropped in the auditorium.
Then the snow started to fall, and amidst audible audience joy, something special happened as audience members reached to touch the paper snow, as if a Hallmark movie had come to life.
Taking on the challenge of such a vast stage, the choreography left little of the space unexplored or unutilised. This was particularly the case when the audience was introduced to Drosselmyer’s toys and the parade of national dance performances in Act 2.
With toy design splashed across the screens high above the sides of the stage, you could see the page lift and come to life on stage.
A mention has to go to the wonderful choreography by Peter Wright, Lev Ivanov, and Vincent Redmon, with additional choreography by David Bintley and Marion Tait.
Waltz of the Flowers with Rose Fairy Amelia Thompson at the helm was sprightly, well-staged, and with a faultless stamina, the entire corps de ballet gave a festive and very enjoyable performance.
Now, let me tell you about the exquisite grand pas de deux offered by the Sugar Plum Fairy, Beatrice Parma, and the Prince, Tzu-Chao Chou. Breathing fresh life into an iconic duet, Chou’s command of the stage, accuracy of movement, and ability to sustain those movements, keeping the audience engaged for every musical beat, as he held an arabesque or supported his dance partner, paired with Parma’s musicality, fluid movement, visible joy of dance and charisma made this exceptional viewing; mastery at its finest.
Although it has concluded for the season, I would highly recommend seeing BRB’s The Nutcracker if you get the chance next Christmas, as I would go so far as to say it was the most magical and enjoyable production of The Nutcracker I have seen.
By Jamie Body of Dance Informa.
