Review: Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! at the Bristol Hippodrome 2012

Matthew Bourne’s Nutcraker! Review
Bristol Hippodrome
Tuesday 17 April 2012

Running until Saturday 21 April 2012
To Book

 

Purists usually raise their eyes skyward at this kind of stuff. It is not traditional, in fact, it is almost as close as you can get to: Ballet – The Musical. But, Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! is so much better than what some of the more lumpy traditional touring fare can offer.

Bourne ballet is accessible to all, a perfect mix of the serious with humour and provides an evening of pure entertainment.

From a life in a bleak Dickensian orphanage and through cracks in reality, Clara searches for her love through the dreamy Sweetieland with characters and scenes reminiscent from Alice in Wonderland.

The end of Act I culminates in a breathtaking winter wonderland of ice skaters and snow, after the orphans break into Sweetieland in a scene reminiscent of Lord of the Flies.

The ending of the ballet somehow seems abrupt after such a grand build up, but while the ballet is perfectly timed, it does leave the audience wanting more.

The Nutcracker! pulses and comes alive with some dark undercurrents, sexual tension, angst, young love, passion all amongst the fluffy frivolous fun of Sweetieland in this coming of age story.

A tangible storyline is injected into Tchaikovsky’s glorious music making it more gripping than a traditional Nutcraker. The characters along with costume embrace diversity making it a ballet for everybody, but especially young people.

Bourne’s creations give male dancers the chance to show what they are really capable of. Bare chested men in white trousers with braces on a steamy stage seem more Freddie Mercury than macho man. But all the company embrace their roles with enthusiasm and humour. In Bourne ballet, characterisation, acting and story telling is as essential as the ballet itself.

It’s hard to belive this is the 20th anniversary production because the ballet and its style remain as fresh as ever. The Nutcraker! Quite simply is ballet at its best.