At a cosy Christmas party, young Clara meets the mysterious magician Drosselmeyer, who gives her a nutcracker doll. When the guests have departed and the house is asleep, Clara sneaks downstairs in search of the doll. Instead, she finds Drosselmeyer, who whisks her away on a journey into a whole world of enchantment: fantastical landscapes of flurried snow and glittering confection where toys come alive and the magic never stops.

Peter Wright’s production of this festive family favourite sparkles to the wondrous swell of Tchaikovsky’s orchestral score, alongside the glow and grandeur of Julia Trevelyan Oman’s period designs.

Cast:  

The Sugar Plum Fairy MAYARA MAGRI

The Prince REECE CLARKE

Herr Drosselmeyer JAMES HAY

Clara MARIANNA TSEMBENHOI

Hans-Peter/The Nutcracker TAISUKE NAKAO

Choreography PETER WRIGHT after LEV IVANOV

Music PYOTR IL’YICH TCHAIKOVSKY  

Conductor CHARLOTTE POLITI

Original Scenario MARIUS PETIPA after E.T.A. HOFFMANN  

Production and Scenario PETER WRIGHT  

Designer JULIA TREVELYAN OMAN

Lighting Designer MARK HENDERSON  

Production Consultant ROLAND JOHN WILEY

Easter Island, 1973. Two CIA agents, a mysterious assignment and a political crisis brewing back in Chile. John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell star in this darkly comic thriller about secrets, loyalties and unexpected alliances, with Steve Buscemi adding to an irresistible cast and the island's mysterious statues providing a spectacular backdrop.

Chile, 1973. With political tensions mounting and a military coup looming, two veteran CIA agents are sent on a mysterious assignment to remote Easter Island. Surrounded by its enigmatic stone statues, Chris and Lee find themselves confronting old secrets, uneasy loyalties and the murky consequences of their work. But when Chris strikes up an unlikely friendship with two rebellious young women, their supposedly straightforward mission takes an increasingly unpredictable turn. John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell star alongside Steve Buscemi in this offbeat political thriller, where dark humour, Cold War intrigue and the strange beauty of an isolated Pacific island make for an unsettling combination.