Dance Review: Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker! - A Double Perspective

Perspective 1: Charis Gambon

Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! was my first visit to the theatre to see a show based purely upon theatrical dance. I thoroughly enjoyed the piece as it is incredibly unique and different. I thought that the dance routines throughout the show were truly flawless and were mesmerised by the pure talent of each and every cast member. The dance style of the two acts could not be any different from each other, but I enjoyed both of the acts and styles thoroughly. I could not have chosen a better first piece in terms of introducing myself to the world of ballet.

Incredibly unique and different… [I was] mesmerised by the pure talent of each and every cast member

I thought that the costume design for every aspect and character was truly beautiful and outstanding. My favourite costumes were the vintage 1950’s style dresses that featured within the second half of the show on the likes of Clara, Princess Sugar and The All Sorts female dancer. I truly was content watching the swishing of the petticoats and dresses whilst the dancers performed elegant and well thought out dance routines. If I had to pick my absolute favourite costume, I would definitely say the blue and white spotty dress worn by Clara within the second act as I felt that it was something I would wear myself.

Bourne brings the classic 130-year-old piece into the current century

The Nutcracker! production is a brilliant way to spend a few hours as it allows you to truly escape within the performance. I was incredibly surprised when the first act finished, and the curtain came down as I did not feel that it had been long enough! Even when the piece was fully finished, I found myself wanting there to be much more!

The second act of the performance is truly bizarre but somehow it definitely works. I have truly never seen a piece anything like Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker!. The ballet demonstrates successfully how adding your own spin on a classic can work. Bourne brings the classic 130-year-old piece into the current century.

Rating: 4/5

Perspective 2: Jess Rushton

In the last few years, pre-pandemic, I have been lucky enough to see several of Matthew Bourne’s ballets and have also seen a more traditional version of The Nutcracker, so it is safe to say my expectations for this production were high. And it did not disappoint in any way. From the set and costumes to the choreography and performance of the dancers themselves, everything fitted together perfectly creating a stunning production that I would not hesitate to watch again.

A stunning production

Bourne’s choreography and direction tell the story beautifully, something which can be hard to convey purely through dance and music; I was engaged from the first bar of music to the last. The iconic music of Tchaikovsky carried the characters through the traditional story of The Nutcracker, and Bourne has added a modern, colourful twist. The story opens on Christmas Eve in an orphanage where Clara (Cordelia Braithwaite) receives a beautiful nutcracker doll as a gift. That night, the Nutcracker (Harrison Dowzell) comes to life and helps all the children escape the orphanage. The set then transforms into ‘Sweetieland’ where Clara finds out her Nutcracker is getting ready to marry Princess Sugar (Ashley Shaw). Clara attempts to break up the wedding, but she is unable to stop it. She awakes back at the orphanage to find the Nutcracker waiting for her and the two reunite before escaping out the window together.

The show also would have been nothing without the incredible costumes, hair, and makeup throughout

The dancing appeared effortless, each performer dancing with apparent ease. As a ballet dancer myself, I can only begin to appreciate the stamina, strength, and effort it takes to make such powerful steps graceful in appearance. The entire company was incredible but special praise must be given to The Cupids (Enrique Ngbokta and Shoko Ito) who provided light comic relief as they tried to reunite Clara and the Nutcracker throughout the second act. Their pairing was beautiful and their acting alongside the dancing really made them stand out in the company.

The show also would have been nothing without the incredible costumes, hair, and makeup throughout. Clearly inspired by the Sweetieland setting of Act Two, the creativity from the costume department is unmatched by almost any other performance I’ve ever seen. The dichotomy between Sweetieland in Act Two and the orphanage setting at the beginning was only made more obvious through costume and this really added to the overall storytelling.

I would recommend this show to anyone, even if you have never seen a dance show before. With Bourne’s modern twist, the story does not drag at all, the dancing is traditional but highly engaging and the characterisation from the entire cast was phenomenal. My only complaint is that it wasn’t long enough and felt almost as if it was over before it began.