Tchaikovsky : The Nutcracker
New Adventures
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Brett Morris (pre-recorded soundtrack)
Another 20-year old "Nutcracker", but a very different proposition from any of the fare seen over last Christmas or, indeed, most Christmases. I did see it when it was given a television broadcast back in 2003, but this was the first opportunity I have had to see Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker! live on stage.
To begin with, there's no Victorian Christmas celebration going on here; we're in a vaguely turn-of-the-century orphanage, everything in shades of grey, save for the miniscule spots of colour contributed by the sparse Christmas decorations. The place is run - ruled would be more accurate - by Dr. Dross (an unprepossessing character with S/M hints about his appearance), his wife, the Matron, and their two spoiled children, Sugar and Fritz. On Christmas Eve the orphans, including Clara, are put through their paces for the benefit of the orphanage patrons, before being packed back off to bed after the benefactors have gone, and having any toys and decorations summarily confiscated.
Clara here is very much a character on the outside looking in, and there are strong echoes of both The Wizard of Oz and of Peter Pan in this retelling. Her Christmas dream is initially quite close to the traditional version, with her doll (not exactly a nutcracker, but definitely an odd-looking, and slightly creepy creature) leading the orphans in a revolt against the Dross family and a break for freedom, and turning into a handsome partner, but he's quickly seduced away by Sugar, and the second act, duly set in Sweetieland, celebrates their marriage. That said, there is a happy ending for Clara - if a little unconvincing after the degree of satire that has preceded it.
Bourne's style is fluid and athletic, and his ideas witty and entertaining. I could have done with a little less of the licking in Act 2 - there was a great deal of it!- and the Waltz of the Flowers (rather, a wedding-cake waltz here) wasn't as strong a group number as some of the first act ensembles, but the adaptation of the divertissement was genuinely inspired. The Spanish dance was a trio of Liquorice Allsorts, the dance of the Flutes a quintet of simpering, bitchy Marshmallow Girls (with a nod, literally, to the nodding mushrooms in Fantasia). The Arabian dance became a lounge-lizard Knickerbocker Glory in a whipped cream plastic wig that brought back memories of Max Headroom, while the Gopak was a rough-and-tumble trio of American football players in the guise of Gobstoppers.
On the minus side, I was sorry to hear a recorded soundtrack. I realise it's very expensive to tour with an orchestra, and probably nearly as much so to hire one on site, if that's at all possible, but while there was nothing wrong with the actual performance of the music, it does take away a little from the overall atmosphere. I've already mentioned the licking, which was funny the first few times, and then got tedious, and I wasn't much in favour of the sound-effects from the stage. On the plus side, the designs were bright and attractive, and the company delivered their performance with considerable vitality and humour, which was much appreciated. This is a lively, enjoyable take on The Nutcracker, and its enduring appeal is easy to understand.
Apparently Bourne has a new version of Sleeping Beauty in the works for this year. That should be worth seeing!
[Next event: 25 February]
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