New English Ballet Theatre: The Nutcracker

Sainsbury Theatre, LAMDA, London
December 18, 2025

For balletgoers in the big cities, London and Birmingham especially, The Nutcracker means big productions, lavish sets, dramatic transformation scenes and world-class dancing. But the ballet does come in all shapes and sizes. There are the visiting ‘one-night here, one-night there’ companies, sometimes with questionable production values, and then there are the ‘chamber’ versions of the ballet by smaller companies staged in smaller venues, and of which there are more around than you might imagine.

Valentino Zucchetti’s new production for New English Ballet Theatre definitely falls into that latter category. It may not have all the bells and whistles, the children or the busy house party of major company productions, but don’t for a second think that means it’s not a quality show. It most definitely is. Back in October, after the premiere at Radlett, I commented that it would send a lot of people home happy. A second viewing did nothing to change that opinion.

The production takes a while to really get going. While there are some innovative moments at the party, such as making The Party Entertainer (effectively Drosselmeyer, Paul Meneu) a hypnotist who persuades some of the guests to dance with the help of his gently swaying pocket watch, but it does fall a little flat. Audrey Nelson is a lovey Clara, however, capturing that well that moment in life when one is starting to edge into adulthood but still young enough to be childlike.

The battle between soldiers and pirates, a change that works rather well, although again could also do with a bit more oomph.

Snowflakes are a joy, however. Zucchetti works wonders carving beautiful patterns, the dancers in ever-changing formations, in technically challenging choreography. And to show it’s no fluke, he does the same in the later Waltz of the Flowers.

It’s after the battle that we see the best of Nelson too. At the premiere, she had shone as Snow Queen and Rose Fairy. Here, she was even better. New to NEBT this year, she sparkled with joy in her pas de deux with the Nutcracker, danced by Hiroki Takano. Both here and in their later Grand pas de deux (Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy are performed by the same dancer, which always seems to make more narrative sense), her dance was precise and clean, elegant and full of clean lines and polished technique. Perhaps best of all, her winning smile let everyone watching know just how much she was enjoying it.

It helps to have a Nutcracker and Prince like Takano, of course. He’s a solid and considerate partner, and no slouch in his own variations. Together, they made everything look effortless.

The Act Two divertissements keep the narrative thread alive, each referencing gifts given to the adult guests at the party. Best of a good bunch was Zhaklin Gudeva and Nicholas Isiah King Rose, silky and sensual in Coffee Pot, and Meneu and Louis DeFelice, who were all ebullient energy in the Russian Hats duet.

There really is a lot to like in NEBT’s The Nutcracker. It’s certainly a very fine looking production. The costumes, a team effort by Lisa James, artistic director Karen Pilkington-Miksa, Zucchetti and Emily Bridge, are gorgeous. Just a shame though that some of the music editing is not the best. Some of the joins are rather jolting.

It’s a production that will be most at home, and probably most appreciated, in those smaller venues away from London, those places that rarely, if ever, see quality classical ballet live. I understand some such dates are already firmed up for 2026, with more to come. Look out for announcements.