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Matthew Bourne's New Adventures - The Nutcracker! - Winter/Spring 2021-22


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Last night as I was driving to and from The Lowry through Storm Arwen I was seriously doubting my sanity in travelling to see Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker!  Mad I may have been but am I glad I went - YES I AM!!

 

I've enjoyed this Nutcracker! since the first time I saw it about 20 years ago and last night it had come up as fresh as a daisy again.

 

Yes, it's a bit bleak being set in the children's home but that just leads us into the glorious fun of the snowflakes and the Kingdom of the Sweets.  I think Bourne has realised the harsh realities of life in a Victorian orphanage run by a couple out for themselves and being reliant on the charity of philanthropists.  As ever each character is slightly differently drawn so they come over as real as opposed to a regimented corps.  The battles are between the children of the owners and the orphans.  When Clara dreams that her ventriloquist doll has come to life we are transported to a world of snowflakes.

 

Sorry SPW and other Nutcracker producers but for me, Matthew Bourne's snowflakes are the best bar none!!  With a nod to Les Patineurs they glide as skaters across a wintry landscape and are absolutely enthralling.

 

Act 2's Kingdom of the Sweets goes from the unremitting greys and then whites of Act 1 to an explosion of colour in the costumes and set.  As with other Bourne works based around classical ballets it is conventionally structured and is enormous fun.  I particularly love the Allsorts (Spanish) and the Gobstoppers (Russian) dances.  The waltz of the flowers based around the giant wedding cake like structure at the back is great too.

 

The whole cast threw themselves into the spirit of the performance and I came out into the appalling evening on a high that is still with me now.

 

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Haven't seen Matthew Bourne's version, but frankly, I've always had my doubts about the  Nutcracker. As a child I just didn't get how a metal crusher could turn into a prince, and the when I actually saw what the painted nutcracker looked like I found it really grotesque. And the mice thing, what's that? It was the stuff of nightmares, I tell you and childhood nightmares linger. Matthew's take on it can only be an improvement.

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42 minutes ago, RosiesDream said:

Haven't seen Matthew Bourne's version, but frankly, I've always had my doubts about the  Nutcracker. As a child I just didn't get how a metal crusher could turn into a prince, and the when I actually saw what the painted nutcracker looked like I found it really grotesque. And the mice thing, what's that? It was the stuff of nightmares, I tell you and childhood nightmares linger. Matthew's take on it can only be an improvement.

 

SPW's production for BRB is the grand-daddy of them all and he manages to tell the story in a believable way (IMHO). I don't like his production for ROH.  I never saw ballet as a child so I don't have any nightmare memories, thank goodness.

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I've only seen it once, and that must have been at least 15 years ago.  I definitely prefer Bourne's second act to the RB's one, much more fun.  When I went, the gobstoppers were 3 chaps in brightly coloured motorcycle jackets and matching helmets (well, hard round hats, anyway.)  Have they got the same costumes this time?  They were my favourites as well.  I also really liked the knickerbocker glory, smirking away.    

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  • 4 weeks later...

After a few days suspension due to omicron, as of December 23rd, this production is up and running again at Sadlers Wells. It was a delight to unexpectedly watch something so bright and cheerful on a dark, dreary, dull, pre-Christmas evening. The exuberance, energy & enthusiasm of the cast at being back on stage doing what they love reached from the orchestra pit to the back row of the upper circle. I understand that, in the past few days, principals have been rehearsed into corps roles to provide cover so that the show could go (back) on. Well done Sir Matthew Bourne (& everyone else) for not giving up.
 

 

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Edited by prs59
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I love the idea that the Principals are performing in with the Corps! 
As an emergency measure this could be interesting if other Companies followed this option. 
A bit of fun spotting  the Principals amongst the snowflakes and the flowers. 

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8 hours ago, LinMM said:

I love the idea that the Principals are performing in with the Corps! 
As an emergency measure this could be interesting if other Companies followed this option. 
A bit of fun spotting  the Principals amongst the snowflakes and the flowers. 

 

If you follow smaller ballet companies you often see the upper echelons dancing in the corps!

 

At one of the performances I saw in Birmingham recently Brandon Lawrence was dancing in the Arabian dance to the delight of all his fans.

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