ManchesterTheatres.com
logo
21 Belvoir Rd
Warrington
Cheshire GB WA4 6PE
Phone: +44 7725 234022 Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube

Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker

Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker

The sweetest of all Matthew Bourne’s treats is comng for all to enjoy! It’s a Nutcracker! for all seasons, adored by critics and audiences alike. With family-sized helpings of Bourne’s trademark wit, pathos and magical fantasy, Nutcracker! follows Clara’s bittersweet journey from a darkly comic Christmas Eve at Dr. Dross’ Orphanage, through a shimmering, ice-skating winter wonderland to the scrumptious candy kingdom of Sweetieland, influenced by the lavish Hollywood musicals of the 1930’s.

Tchaikovsky’s glorious score and Anthony Ward’s delectable sets and costumes combine with Bourne’s dazzling choreography to create a fresh and charmingly irreverent interpretation of the classic.  Expect a sprinkling of delicious new surprises in this reinvented production for 2021.

Hailed by The Observer as ‘the undisputed king of dance theatre’, master storyteller Matthew Bourne and his New Adventures company have produced some of the most successful dance productions of the last two decades including The Red Shoes, Swan Lake, Cinderella, Edward Scissorhands and most recently his acclaimed reimagining of Romeo and Juliet.

Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker Tickets

event-img
Sorry, there are no tickets for Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker in Salford available at the moment. This maybe due to one of the following reasons:
  • - Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker in Salford tickets are currently not on sale.
  • - The event has sold out.
  • - Details have not yet been announced for Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker in Salford.
  • - The event may have been cancelled.
  • - The event has been and gone.
Join our free mailing list for
updates about this event
show1

Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker ON TOUR

Our review on Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker

Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker - The Lowry, Salford - Wednesday 24th November 2021 by Amy Marsh

Our Rating

What a delightfully fun and comical take on such a well known classic. Matthew Bourne strikes again with this easy to follow but brilliantly creative Nutcracker, that although now in its 30th year, still feels very fresh and exciting from start to finish.

 


Bourne opts for a contrasting approach opening act one in a Dickensian orphanage where the young inmates (all played by adults) are celebrating a more modest Christmas Eve as opposed to the luxurious, present filled celebrations as seen in many classical versions. The monochrome costume and set at the beginning of act one feels cold and basic with its metal bed frames and thin sheets that are each shared by up to 4 orphans. This clearly highlights the difference between them and the rather privileged and bratty son and daughter of Dr. Dross and his wife - the owners of the orphanage. This also depicts Clara's reality rather than the dreamland she proceeds to enter into.


The costumes and set then seamlessly transition throughout, opening up into brightly lit blue sky full of fluffy clouds creating the effect of a snowglobe with a magical helping of snow floating down. This certainly brings all the festive feels. This continues into Act two where we see a huge burst of colour with both the set and costume. From the huge cake platform to the liquorice alsort costumes and the fluffy marshmallow hats, this stark contrast takes the audience even further from the real world of the orphanage as Clara enters ‘sweetieland’.



Just like the classical versions of the Nutcracker, this contemporary production still includes many of the traditional elements such as the magical growing Christmas tree, the transformation of the Nutcracker and falling of the snow, all set to Tchaicovsky’s classical score. However, one of the genius alterations was the re-thinking of the national dances. Instead, Bourne has created unique sweetieland characters all linked to their orphanage counterparts with which Clara’s friends become fluffy marshmallow girls, yobby gobstoppers, a trio of vain Liquorice allsorts and a luring Knickerbocker Glory.


The dancers have to be commended for their brilliant characterisation, each one so unique and consistent throughout. From the moment they introduce themselves with their simple but extremely effective actions and expressions, you feel like you know who they are and their personality. This continues through to the hilarious sweetieland characters that they become in act two. The dancing itself is equally creative as the rest of the production, consisting of a balanced helping of traditional and quirky movement content with so many comical elements that are a welcomed approach to what I ever imagined to see to such a traditional score.

It is certainly a unique show not to be missed.

WE SCORE THIS PRODUCTION 8/10

Follow Us
Join Our Free Mailing List