Review - Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker! at Birmingham Hippodrome
Sumptuous sets and cracking costumes completed a truly stunning production of Nutcracker! at Birmingham's Hippodrome Theatre last night.
Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker!
Birmingham Hippodrome
Review by Amy Burns
Sumptuous sets and cracking costumes completed a truly stunning production of Nutcracker! at Birmingham's Hippodrome Theatre last night.
Matthew Bourne's version of the Christmas classic was – in true Bourne style – anything but traditional.
Themed entirely around sweets, the audience was treated to dancing displays by Liquorice Allsorts, a Humbug, a Knickerbocker Glory and a troupe of Marshmallow girls all of whom, at some stage or other, danced upon a giant wedding cake.
Nutcracker! had all the hallmarks of a Bourne show with glitzy backdrops – including a giant pair of lips – and choreography that at times was barely recognisable as ballet.
So modern is Bourne's take on the traditional art that at times you feel you are watching an entirely different medium of dance such as hip hop or street dancing.
Yet Tchaikovsky's score stands triumphant throughout, proving just how versatile and timeless this beautiful collection of music really is. This ballet is a notoriously hard nut to crack but I think I can safely say that Matthew Bourne smashed it. It runs until Saturday.