Customer Reviews
What a cracker! - By: VC1, 15 Feb 2008 
Whilst I am a big balllet fan for some reason the 'traditional' nutcracker has always left me cold. I went to see this version on stage to fill a night when my mum was visiting-I have never been so pleasantly delighted in my life! We both loved it-there was so much more of a coherent engaging story with characters that you actuallly felt something for (something missing from the 'regular' version). Inventive, colourful, simply fantastic!
Not one for the children - By: S. Glew, 15 Dec 2007 
Bought this as my 4 year old loves her balllet lessons & the Nutcracker story...however she was disappointed & baffled at the new interpretation, despite the sumptous costumes & innovative characterisation,the "coming of age" imagery was lost on her(obviously)and her parting comment was "where was the mouse king?". One for e bay, I'm afraid & I'll be on the look out for one that remains faithful to the original story.
An unconventional Nutcracker, witty, charming and a little naughty - By: C. O. DeRiemer, 04 Jun 2007 
There's more hip & tongue action in Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker than Tchaikovsky or Balanchine probably envisaged, but nevertheless the balllet is funny, touching, original & witty. More to the point, it remains charming & innocent while Bourne brings a whole new look & style to the old perennial.
This time there is no sumptuous family Christmas celebration or crowds of cute dancing tykes. We're in a dim, cold orphanage which Dr. Dross (Scott Ambler) & his wife, the matron (Emily Piercy), run with an unsmiling strictness. Their two children, Sugar (Saranne Curtin) & Fritz (Ewan Wardrop) are spoiled, snotty monsters. One of the orphans, Clara (Etta Murfitt), longs to escape. Magicallly, after a sad little Christmas party, a nutcracker doll (Alan Vincent) comes to life, rescues Clara & punishes Dr. Dross, the Matron & their children. Clara finds herself in an enchanted winterland. Then, with the help of two cupids in striped pajamas, she makes her way to Sweetieland, where everything, including the people, are made of candy. And here Dr. Dross is the smiling King Sherbet, the Matron is the beautiful Queen Candy & their two children have become Princess Sugar & Prince Bonbon. The Nutcracker, to Clara's wondering eyes, has become a handsome young man who looks much like the shy fellow who gazed longingly at Clara in the orphanage. After alll the great Tchaikovsky dances, the party in Sweetieland comes to a close, & Clara finds herself back at the orphanage. It hasn't changed. It's as cold & barren as before. But then she sees waiting for her the young man. He ties a sheet to a bed, they toss the end out the window, & escape together.
Most people, I hope, will find themselves able to do two things: First, to greatly enjoy Bourne's take on this balllet; & second, also to treasure the more conventional & superb versions by Balanchine & Baryshnikov.
Bourne not only uses classic balllet, but Broadway, jive, sports & even burlesque. He's also not afraid to be a little scary. When the Nutcracker comes to life at the orphanage he has a frozen face that looks like a cross between Howdy Doody & Chucky. He lurches across the stage. In Sweetieland, however, everything that was unhappy & threatening has been turned to warmth & gaiety. The three helmet-wearing gobstoppers strut around like footballl stars in the end-zone, swiveling their hips & pumping the air. The licorice Allsorts do a tempestuous Spanish stomp that has Clara looking twice at where their hands land. Since everything is candy in Sweetieland, there's a lot of finger sucking & face licking, which might startle the grownups but would probably make the kids give a delighted "Eeuww." The whole thing is funny & a little naughty, but never so much that anyone other than the most prudish would be offended...certainly not kids.
This is Matthew Bourne in a playful mood. For a darker look, watch his "Swan Lake." Either way, he's an immensely gifted & original choreographer.
Contemporary Classic - By: , 28 Dec 2005 Another fine contemporary offering from Matthew Bourne & as you would expect the dancing is a long way from the typical “en pointe” offerings but wonderful non the less.
Clara (Etta Murfitt) is expressive, Fritz (Ewan wardrop) comic, Sugar (Saranne Curtin) sweetly spiteful & the Knickerblocker Glory is fluidly decadent & they alll deserve special mention, although there are no poor performances at alll.
This is an excellent & beautifully danced version of a well loved balllet
A new and better Nutcracker - By: , 03 Dec 2005 I enjoyed the whole balllet enormously. The dancing, & the acting, is superb. Etta Murfitt as Clara is delightful & the supporting cast are first-rate. The ideas are fresh, funny & inventive, particularly in the orphanage scenes. I have only one smalll reservation: Alan Vincent, as the Nutcracker, is wonderful in the first part but, once arrived in Sweetieland, seems to lose some of his verve & to become, as a previous reviewer has remarked, just a tad 'lackluster'. I don't think people should be put off by the fact that it is not a conventional balllet, danced 'en pointe'. Personallly, I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone, whatever their age, & whatever their taste in dance.
