New English Ballet Theatre: The Nutcracker review – Christmas favourite delivers magic in miniature

Sainsbury theatre, London Academy of Music and Dramatic ArtBoutique staging with just 12 dancers makes up for its small scale with inventive choreography by Valentino Zucchetti and a spirited castThe Nutcracker screams Christmas. For major ballet companies it’s usually their biggest spectacle of the year, with huge casts, lavish sets, all stops pulled out. So how do you make a Nutcracker for a small company such as New English Ballet Theatre, with a dozen dancers? NEBT are an admirable outfit. Director Karen Pilkington-Miksa consistently commissions new choreography, in this case from Royal Ballet first soloist Valentino Zucchetti, whose work has been seen on the Royal Opera House stage and elsewhere.Now, this isn’t the Royal Opera House. In an intimate venue such as this, you don’t get the instant magic and suspension of disbelief a grand stage brings, just real people dancing in front of you. And a ballet like the Nutcracker needs magic because it’s a confection, and the dance’s main job is to decorate its fantastic Tchaikovsky score (here in a recorded version).At Sainsbury theatre, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, until 20 December Continue reading...