Jan McNulty Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 English National Ballet Nutcracker Delights London Coliseum Thursday 17 December 2020 - Sunday 3 January 2021 www.ballet.org.uk/nutcracker-delights Making their return to stage, English National Ballet performs Nutcracker Delights at the London Coliseum this Christmas, now opening Thursday 17 December and running until Sunday 3 January 2021. Nutcracker Delights is a special 75-minute version of the festive classic which sees the Company perform a selection of the ballet’s most popular moments and iconic scenes, from Snowflakes and hot air balloon rides to the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, accompanied by Tchaikovsky’s famous score played live by musicians from English National Ballet Philharmonic. Tamara Rojo CBE, English National Ballet’s Artistic Director said: “English National Ballet has performed a version of The Nutcracker every year since the Company was founded in 1950 and I’m so pleased that, despite the challenges faced, we have been able to find a way for the tradition to live on, in this, our 70th Anniversary year. It’s more important than ever that we are able to bring audiences some festive joy this Christmas and we cannot wait to return to the stage next month.” Opening night will see Natascha Mair’s first performance with English National Ballet. Natascha, who has previously performed with Vienna State Opera Ballet, has joined the Company as Principal and will be debuting in the role of Clara and will also perform the role of Sugar Plum Fairy later in the run. Also performing in the iconic roles of Clara and Sugar Plum Fairy are Lead Principals Erina Takahashi and Fernanda Oliveira, Principal Shiori Kase and First Soloists Emma Hawes and Katja Khaniukova. Lead Principals Joseph Caley, Jeffrey Cirio, Isaac Hernández and Francesco Gabriele Frola will perform the role of Prince, whilst First Soloist Junor Souza will dance both Prince and Nutcracker. First Soloist Aitor Arrieta, Soloist Skyler Martin and Artist of the Company Fernando Carratalá Coloma dance the role of Nutcracker. Principal Casting (in the order of Clara, Sugar Plum Fairy, Prince, Nutcracker) Thursday 17 December Natascha Mair*, Erina Takahashi, Joseph Caley, Aitor Arrieta Friday 18 December Katja Khaniukova, Fernanda Oliveira, Francesco Gabriele Frola, Junor Souza Saturday 19 December (mat) Erina Takahashi, Shiori Kase, Isaac Hernández, Skyler Martin Saturday 19 December Erina Takahashi, Shiori Kase, Isaac Hernández, Skyler Martin Monday 21 December (mat) Emma Hawes, Katja Khaniukova, Jeffrey Cirio, Fernando Carratalá Coloma Monday 21 December Emma Hawes, Katja Khaniukova, Jeffrey Cirio, Fernando Carratalá Coloma Tuesday 22 December (mat) Natascha Mair, Erina Takahashi, Joseph Caley, Aitor Arrieta Tuesday 22 December Natascha Mair, Erina Takahashi, Joseph Caley, Aitor Arrieta Wednesday 23 December (mat) Fernanda Oliveira, Emma Hawes, Junor Souza, Fernando Carratalá Coloma Wednesday 23 December Fernanda Oliveira, Emma Hawes, Junor Souza, Fernando Carratalá Coloma Thursday 24 December (mat) Erina Takahashi, Shiori Kase, Isaac Hernández, Skyler Martin Saturday 26 December (mat) Katja Khaniukova, Fernanda Oliveira, Francesco Gabriele Frola, Junor Souza Sunday 27 December (mat) Natascha Mair, Erina Takahashi, Joseph Caley, Aitor Arrieta Tuesday 29 December Emma Hawes, Katja Khaniukova, Jeffrey Cirio, Fernando Carratalá Coloma Wednesday 30 December Shiori Kase, Natascha Mair, Isaac Hernández, Skyler Martin Thursday 31 December (mat) Emma Hawes, Katja Khaniukova, Jeffrey Cirio, Fernando Carratalá Coloma Saturday 2 January (mat) Katja Khaniukova, Fernanda Oliveira, Francesco Gabriele Frola, Junor Souza Saturday 2 January Katja Khaniukova, Fernanda Oliveira, Francesco Gabriele Frola, Junor Souza Sunday 3 January (mat) Shiori Kase, Natascha Mair, Isaac Hernández, Skyler Martin *Debut in role with English National Ballet Casting is subject to change. Please see www.ballet.org.uk for up-to-date casting. All rehearsals and performances are in strict compliance with the UK Government’s COVID-19 guidance. To find out more about how English National Ballet is working with the London Coliseum to create socially distanced performances, visit www.ballet.org.uk/nutcracker-delights -ENDS- English National Ballet is a National Portfolio Organisation supported by Arts Council England. English National Ballet is grateful for the generous grant it has been awarded through the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund, which allows it to continue to create, perform and serve its audiences. NatWest is Principal Partner of English National Ballet. Notes to Editors Listings information Nutcracker Delights London Coliseum Thursday 17 December 2020 – Sunday 3 January 2021 Press night: Thursday 17 December, 7.30pm Box Office: www.ballet.org.uk/nutcracker-delights This performance runs for approximately 75 minutes with no interval. Presented by English National Ballet Enterprises Ltd About English National Ballet English National Ballet has a long and distinguished history. Founded in 1950 as London Festival Ballet by the great English Dancers Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin, it has been at the forefront of ballet’s growth and evolution ever since. English National Ballet brings world class ballet to the widest possible audience through performances across the UK and on eminent international stages including The Bolshoi Theatre and Palais Garnier; its distinguished orchestra, English National Ballet Philharmonic; and being a UK leader in creative learning and engagement practice, building innovative partnerships to deliver flagship programmes such as English National Ballet’s Dance for Parkinson’s. Under the artistic directorship of Tamara Rojo CBE, English National Ballet has introduced ground-breaking new works to the Company’s repertoire whilst continuing to honour the tradition of great classical ballet, gaining acclaim for artistic excellence and creativity. 2019 saw English National Ballet enter a new chapter in its history with a move into a purpose-built state-of-the-art home in East London which brings a renewed commitment to, and freedom for, creativity, ambition, and connection to more people, near and far, than ever before.www.ballet.org.uk About Arts Council England Arts Council England is the national development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives. We support a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to visual art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2018 and 2022, we will invest £1.45 billion of public money from government and an estimated £860 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. www.artscouncil.org.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oncnp Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 (edited) If I'm counting correctly that make 43 total "Nutcracker" performances in London between 11 Dec and 3 Jan just from the ENB (19), RB (17) and BRB (7). It will be interesting to see how well they sell, esp for the RB with higher prices and not opening booking until next week. Didn't see any streaming planned except, perhaps, for the RB with the cryptic "Camera Filming" note on the 22 December performance. Edited November 18, 2020 by oncnp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 As we have now discovered, ENB films all its shows for archive purposes. Here’s hoping that Nutcracker Delights will be streamed at some point. Well done ENB for getting some casting out. RB - where is yours? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oncnp Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 41 minutes ago, capybara said: Well done ENB for getting some casting out. RB - where is yours? I would also like to see the casting but to be fair to Mr O'Hare, he has more people to juggle with fewer performances, especially if he wants to stay with his 'everyone on stage' theme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 1 hour ago, oncnp said: I would also like to see the casting but to be fair to Mr O'Hare, he has more people to juggle with fewer performances, especially if he wants to stay with his 'everyone on stage' theme. I know, and I sympathise, but the juggling needs to go on underneath the ‘headline’ dancers and the RB is due to start nearly a week earlier than ENB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oncnp Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 12 minutes ago, capybara said: I know, and I sympathise, but the juggling needs to go on underneath the ‘headline’ dancers and the RB is due to start nearly a week earlier than ENB. The 'headline' dancers were the ones I was thinking about actually based on the RB having quite a few more 1st Soloist and Principals than the ENB (~26 v. ~16 according to their websites and subtracting the injuries and pregnancies for the RB that I know about) who might be eligible for those roles (let alone the Soloists). Hopefully it will be announced prior to booking. Hopefully it comes off at all. 🤞 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 Anyone else reading the ENB casting & working out which cast you'd choose to book for if there was any chance you could get to London this winter even though you know there isn't, or is it just me being completely pointless? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted November 18, 2020 Author Share Posted November 18, 2020 34 minutes ago, Dawnstar said: Anyone else reading the ENB casting & working out which cast you'd choose to book for if there was any chance you could get to London this winter even though you know there isn't, or is it just me being completely pointless? Same here - even though I don't like this production. The casts look really rather scintillating! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 1 hour ago, oncnp said: The 'headline' dancers were the ones I was thinking about actually based on the RB having quite a few more 1st Soloist and Principals than the ENB (~26 v. ~16 according to their websites and subtracting the injuries and pregnancies for the RB that I know about) who might be eligible for those roles (let alone the Soloists). Hopefully it will be announced prior to booking. Hopefully it comes off at all. 🤞 Here's a radical suggestion: what if - shock horror - given the small audiences (if any) they'll be able to have at the ROH, and how quickly even normal-sized performances sell out, a decision is taken not to formally announce casting at all, and to make everyone take pot luck, rather than to bother announcing casting when there's every chance that, due to the bubble system, if one dancer has to come out for whatever reason the rest of the casting could be turned upside down as well (if that is indeed a potential scenario)? This forum would be in an uproar, of course, but it's probably one of the few ballets where it might conceivably be an option But yes, hopefully it comes off at all, and the Government doesn't put the kibosh on Christmas performances Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 4 minutes ago, alison said: Here's a radical suggestion: what if - shock horror - given the small audiences (if any) they'll be able to have at the ROH, and how quickly even normal-sized performances sell out, a decision is taken not to formally announce casting at all, and to make everyone take pot luck, rather than to bother announcing casting when there's every chance that, due to the bubble system, if one dancer has to come out for whatever reason the rest of the casting could be turned upside down as well (if that is indeed a potential scenario)? This forum would be in an uproar, of course, but it's probably one of the few ballets where it might conceivably be an option But yes, hopefully it comes off at all, and the Government doesn't put the kibosh on Christmas performances I have to say that in these circumstances I don't care a jot what the casting is - I'll just be thrilled if it goes ahead. All the dancers are wonderful. (Besides which I imagine it will be a bit of a lottery trying to get a single ticket at an OK price in an OK seat for any performance. I draw the line at sitting in the Upper Slips again!). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted November 19, 2020 Author Share Posted November 19, 2020 8 hours ago, alison said: Here's a radical suggestion: what if - shock horror - given the small audiences (if any) they'll be able to have at the ROH, and how quickly even normal-sized performances sell out, a decision is taken not to formally announce casting at all, and to make everyone take pot luck, rather than to bother announcing casting when there's every chance that, due to the bubble system, if one dancer has to come out for whatever reason the rest of the casting could be turned upside down as well (if that is indeed a potential scenario)? This forum would be in an uproar, of course, but it's probably one of the few ballets where it might conceivably be an option But yes, hopefully it comes off at all, and the Government doesn't put the kibosh on Christmas performances Welcome to the "normal" world of a Northern Ballet fan! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 I’m afraid I do care about casting. I agree that all the leads will be wonderful but, as someone who has been advised to be extra careful (formerly shielded), I need to weigh the risks of travel and being in the ROH against the ‘return’ I will get from the performance. So I’m eagerly awaiting news of the RB’s Claras and Princes in particular. Apologies - this is an ENB thread after all! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 10 hours ago, alison said: Here's a radical suggestion: what if - shock horror - given the small audiences (if any) they'll be able to have at the ROH, and how quickly even normal-sized performances sell out, a decision is taken not to formally announce casting at all, and to make everyone take pot luck, gawd - NO!! There are several dancers I want to see a lot (and one in particular) - and some I'd be happy to miss forever more. If pot luck applies, I know which I'd probably end up with 😞 So very happy that ENB have listed the casting, so that I could pick one show (on my birthday a it happens) with a cast I wanted to see among several on my shortlist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 I wasn't suggesting that people didn't - or shouldn't - care about the casting (heaven knows, I've seen some Nutcracker casts I've been disappointed with, even with "big name" dancers), but just wondering whether people from here would actually go even if they didn't know the casting, given their love of the company. Obviously, some of us have various constraints on whether we can go anyway, but for those who don't ... Anyway, as someone has already pointed out, this is an ENB thread, so I don't want to sidetrack it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 14 hours ago, Jan McNulty said: Same here - even though I don't like this production. The casts look really rather scintillating! I've not actually seen ENB's Nutcracker production, on the RB's & BRB's, so I don't know if I like it or not, there are just a few dancers in 2 of the casts in particular who I'd like to see in anything reasonably classical! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCL Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 I have tickets for the first night of ENB’s Nutcracker, booked in a bit of a frenzy last Friday, forgetting all about the new rules which meant I couldn’t book my usual three seats...I was so relieved to eventually get something vaguely resembling what I wanted that I didn’t think at all about casting. I was surprised and pleased to see the announcement yesterday, and I’m delighted with the first night cast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 I had booked 1 performance not knowing the casting but have just seen the casting and added another, they are only £10 balcony seats and of course anything can and probably will happen in the meantime! I want to see the dancers not the production, actually leaving out the first scenes at the party sounds a good idea and the running time without an interval is not far off the complete version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 Perhaps the Arabian Dance will take the opportunity to disappear ... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oncnp Posted December 21, 2020 Share Posted December 21, 2020 (edited) ENB has inevitably chucked in the towel as well. https://www.ballet.org.uk/production/nutcracker-delights/ Edited December 21, 2020 by oncnp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted December 21, 2020 Share Posted December 21, 2020 Though on the plus side, they've just posted on Instagram that they've filmed it & will be streaming. https://www.instagram.com/p/CJD8T7mlBrn/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted December 21, 2020 Author Share Posted December 21, 2020 I thought the fact that it is being streamed worth a new topic (but can be merged in later: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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