Birmingham to London: Taking The Nutcracker to the Royal Albert Hall

What can audiences expect from this new production of The Nutcracker?

Audiences can expect all of the magic of Sir Peter Wright’s choreography from the 1990 Birmingham Royal Ballet production of The Nutcracker. This new version, however, has been specially adapted for the Royal Albert Hall stage by our artistic director Sir David Bentley, with, amongst other clever tweaks, an additional Prologue during the Overture. There are also stunning set and costume designs by Dick Bird, as well as Tchaikovsky’s glorious score, played live by the magnificent Birmingham Royal Ballet Sinfonia.

What are you most looking forward to about Birmingham Royal Ballet’s return to the Royal Albert Hall?

Every single interaction with a live audience after the pandemic is such a privilege. It was a bitter blow to Birmingham Royal Ballet last year when we were forced to abandon our Royal Albert Hall Nutcracker season. This version may have a relatively short history, but it has already become a very special event for the entire company. To have the opportunity to perform at this iconic venue which has hosted so many famous artists and, of course, the home of the BBC Proms, is a great thrill for us all.

Why do you think Nutcracker is such an enduring Christmas favourite among audiences of all ages?

I think here we must defer to Tchaikovsky. This is undoubtedly his balletic masterpiece. Right from the opening Overture Miniature right through to the magical Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, the score is a miracle of orchestral wintry brilliance, invention and colour. Not only do we have the introduction of the tinkly celeste into the orchestral palette, but the most thrilling and inexorable A major climax – possibly in the whole of the orchestral repertoire – with the growing of the Christmas tree in Act 1.

The original Hoffmann text is set on Christmas Eve, bringing to life Clara’s journey to the Kingdom of Sweets with battling Nutcracker soldiers, rats and mice. The music and choreography brings together ethnic styles from around the world, with a glorious Grand Pas de Deux based on a simple descending G major scale. Together, this all contributes to a production that provides a perfect escape from the grim realities of our world. Who wouldn’t want to come every year?

This production was created specifically for the Royal Albert Hall. What changes were made to the performance to suit this historic venue?

To properly answer this question, I asked our artistic director David Bintley for his thoughts. Here is what he said:

‘The biggest change was the absence of theatrical scenery. No wing space, no flying and no magical growing Christmas Tree. Instead, we use enormous screens for projection as a way of providing an ‘immersive’ experience in the Royal Albert Hall’s vast auditorium. The use of a small element of narrative with Simon Callow ‘voicing’ Herr Drosselmeyer, again “involves” the audience and draws them into the production.’

Something that’s very different about this particular staging is that orchestra and the conductor are placed on a raised platform high above the action but very visible to the audience. David Bintley explains how it works:

’The platform is visible from the moment the audience enters unlike the stage production which is concealed by a front cloth. Our use of a Christmas ’soundscape’ and a handful of performers already depicting a wintry Christmas scene gets the audience in the mood before the ballet begins. The orchestra is very much part of the experience, visually as well as aurally. The production aims to draw all of these elements together and provide an “alternative” experience to that of seeing what is already a very successful production in a proscenium setting.’

As well as conducting ballets, you also lead orchestral performances. What additional challenges does the inclusion of dance bring?

In ballet, the conductor is the conduit or the mediator between the dancers and the orchestra and tempo is an all-encompassing issue. Choreography will dictate tempo limitations and individual dancers will have their own requests, much the same as singers will in opera. Despite this, our priority is to make music, as the orchestra can’t see anything of the action and need the conductor to engage them.

I immediately think of a concert of suites from well-known ballet scores I conducted in Osaka a few years ago, which finished with Act 2 of The Nutcracker. In this concert performance, unshackled as it was from tempo demands, without the applause and gasps from the audience between, after or during the numbers, the experience was a little flat. Ballet music belongs in the theatre and there are very few scores that make a successful transition to the concert hall. Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring is a possible exception, but if you see the reconstruction of Nijinsky’s original choreography, the score’s innate theatricality and violence makes perfect sense. This is especially true in the final section, the Danse Sacrale, where the Chosen One literally dances herself to death.

You were appointed principal conductor of Birmingham Royal Ballet in 1997. How has the company and its music changed in the 25 years you’ve been a part of it?

I joined the Company in 1992 as a staff conductor. Back then, Peter Wright was the Artistic Director, and the core repertoire sprang from the Ninette de Valois/Frederick Ashton tradition, together with his own productions of the classics. This predominantly included the three Tchaikovsky ballets – Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker – together with Giselle and Coppélia, all of which still enjoy national and global popularity today.

David Bintley was made Artistic Director in 1995 and was clearly keen to preserve the company’s choreographic heritage, but also commissioned many new works throughout his tenure – often with new music, which was hugely exciting to collaborate on. As principal conductor, I have fortunate to conduct many of these world premieres and I continue to work with David around the world today.

Now the legendary Cuban dancer Carlos Acosta is in charge and the company continues to preserve the classics, while also moving firmly into the 21st century with new works from contemporary choreographers and an immersion into digital technology.

We continue to enjoy the excellence and the flexibility of the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s own contracted orchestra. We are so fortunate to have that level of dedication as well as technical and artistic brilliance in the pit for all our performances.

The other thing I’ve noticed is that the dancers appear to be getting younger with each passing year, but I suspect that the reverse is true and I am simply getting older!