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The Nutcracker

4 December 2013 - 16 January 2014 | Main Stage

A young girl's enchanted present leads her on a wonderful adventure in this classic ballet, accompanied by Tchaikovsky's glittering score.

Photos

  • Gary Avis in The Nutcracker © ROH/Johan Persson 2010
  • Gary Avis and Meaghan Grace Hinkis in The Nutcracker © ROH/Bill Cooper 2012
  • Roberta Marquez as The Sugar Plum Fairy and Steven McRae as The Prince in The Nutcracker. © ROH / Bill Cooper 2012
  • Meaghan Grace Hinkis in The Nutcracker © ROH/Bill Cooper 2012
  • Ricardo Cervera as the Nephew in The Nutcracker, ©Johan Persson/ROH 2010
  • Laura McCulloch, Ryoichi Hirano and Johannes Stepanek in the Arabian dance, The Nutcracker, ©Johan Persson/ROH 2010
  • Iohna Loots as Clara in The Nutcracker © ROH / Johan Persson2010
  • Steven McRae as The Prince and Miyako Yoshida as The Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker ©Johan Persson/ROH 2010
  • Melissa Hamilton as The Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. © ROH / Johan Persson 2011
  • Melissa Hamilton as The Sugar Plum Fairy and Sergei Polunin as The Prince in The Nutcracker. © ROH / Johan Persson 2011

When to see it

Booking for 4 December 2013 - 16 January 2014 opens

Wednesday 4 December 2013, 7.30pm | Main Stage
  • West
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Morera
  • Bonelli
  • Avis
  • Maguire
  • Campbell
Not on sale
Friday 6 December 2013, 7.30pm | Main Stage
  • West
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Cuthbertson
  • Stearns
  • Saunders
  • Loots
  • Cervera
Not on sale
Monday 9 December 2013, 7.30pm | Main Stage
  • West
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Lamb
  • Pennefather
  • Gartside
  • Hayward
  • Hay
Not on sale
Tuesday 10 December 2013, 7.30pm | Main Stage
  • West
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Cuthbertson
  • Stearns
  • Saunders
  • Loots
  • Cervera
Not on sale
Thursday 12 December 2013, 7.30pm | Main Stage
  • West
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Morera
  • Bonelli
  • Avis
  • Maguire
  • Campbell
Not on sale
Saturday 14 December 2013, 7.00pm | Main Stage
  • Seligman
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Marquez
  • McRae
  • Saunders
  • Loots
  • Cervera
Not on sale
Friday 20 December 2013, 2.30pm | Main Stage
  • Seligman
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Kobayashi
  • Hristov
  • Marriott
  • Harrod
  • Zucchetti
Not on sale
Friday 20 December 2013, 7.30pm | Main Stage
  • Seligman
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Marquez
  • McRae
  • Saunders
  • Loots
  • Cervera
Not on sale
Monday 23 December 2013, 12.30pm | Main Stage
  • West
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Nuñez
  • Soares
  • Avis
  • Hinkis
  • Dyer
Not on sale
Tuesday 24 December 2013, 12.30pm | Main Stage
  • West
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Cojocaru
  • Kobborg
  • Saunders
  • Hinkis
  • Dyer
Not on sale
Friday 27 December 2013, 2.00pm | Main Stage
  • West
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Hamilton
  • Trzensimiech
  • Gartside
  • Harrod
  • Zucchetti
Not on sale
Friday 27 December 2013, 7.00pm | Main Stage
  • West
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Osipova
  • Bonelli
  • Avis
  • Maguire
  • Campbell
Not on sale
Tuesday 31 December 2013, 12.00pm | Main Stage
  • West
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Kobayashi
  • Hristov
  • Gartside
  • Harrod
  • Zucchetti
Not on sale
Tuesday 31 December 2013, 5.00pm | Main Stage
  • West
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Cojocaru
  • Kobborg
  • Saunders
  • Cope
  • Kay
Not on sale
Thursday 2 January 2014, 2.00pm | Main Stage
  • West
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Takada
  • Campbell
  • Marriott
  • Westcombe
  • Ondiviela
Not on sale
Thursday 2 January 2014, 7.00pm | Main Stage
  • West
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Nuñez
  • Soares
  • Avis
  • Hinkis
  • Dyer
Not on sale
Saturday 4 January 2014, 12.30pm | Main Stage
  • West
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Osipova
  • Bonelli
  • Avis
  • Maguire
  • Campbell
Not on sale
Wednesday 8 January 2014, 7.30pm | Main Stage
  • West
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Kaneko
  • Kish
  • Saunders
  • Hayward
  • Hay
Not on sale
Friday 10 January 2014, 7.30pm | Main Stage
  • West
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Takada
  • Campbell
  • Marriott
  • Westcombe
  • Ondiviela
Not on sale
Saturday 11 January 2014, 7.00pm | Main Stage
  • West
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Kaneko
  • Kish
  • Saunders
  • Hayward
  • Hay
Not on sale
Monday 13 January 2014, 7.30pm | Main Stage
  • West
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Choe
  • Hirano
  • Marriott
  • Cope
  • Kay
Not on sale
Wednesday 15 January 2014, 7.30pm | Main Stage
  • West
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Hamilton
  • Trzensimiech
  • Gartside
  • Westcombe
  • Ondiviela
Not on sale
Thursday 16 January 2014, 7.30pm | Main Stage
  • West
  • Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
  • Choe
  • Hirano
  • Marriott
  • Cope
  • Kay
Not on sale

Introduction

Clara, a young girl, creeps downstairs on Christmas Eve to retrieve her favourite present. But a mysterious magician, Drosselmeyer, is waiting to sweep her off on a magical adventure.

Background

Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker score was commissioned by the director of the Russian Imperial Theatres, following the resounding success of Sleeping Beauty in 1890. Marius Petipa created the scenario – based on a fairytale by E. T. A. Hoffman – and Lev Ivanov provided the choreography. The Nutcracker was first performed in 1892 at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg. It initially had a poor reception, but its combination of enchanting choreography and an unforgettable score have since made it one of the best-loved of all ballets.

In Peter Wright's classic production, the stage sparkles with theatrical magic – a Christmas tree grows before our eyes, toy soldiers come to life to fight the villainous Mouse King and Clara is whisked to the Land of Sweets on a golden sleigh. Tchaikovsky's score contains some of the best-known melodies in ballet, from the flurrying sounds of the Waltz of the Snowflakes to the dream-like Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the vigorous Russian Dance. Julia Trevelyan Oman's designs draw upon 19th-century images of Christmas, making this a classic production for the festive season.

Live cinema season

The Nutcracker will be screened live in cinemas on 12 December 2013

Thanks to

Generous philanthropic support from

The Royal Opera House Endowment Fund

How to support the Royal Opera House

Running time

About 2 hours 10 minutes | Including one interval

Guidance

This production is suitable for children 5 years old and over

Credits

ChoreographyPeter Wright
MusicPyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Original scenarioMarius Petipa
Production and scenarioPeter Wright
DesignsJulia Trevelyan Oman
Lighting designMark Henderson
StagingChristopher Carr

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