The Nutcracker at The REP

Director Carlos Acosta

The Nutcracker at The REP

BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET ROYAL BALLET SINFONIA Patron Her Majesty the Queen President HRH The Prince of Wales Vice-President The Lady Sarah Chatto

Director

Carlos Acosta cbe Chief Executive Officer

Caroline Miller obe

Founded by Dame Ninette de Valois om, ch

Prima Ballerina Assoluta Dame Margot Fonteyn

Founder Choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton om, ch, cbe

Director Laureate Sir Peter Wright cbe

Founder Music Director Constant Lambert

Music Director Laureate Barry Wordsworth

Music Director

Koen Kessels

WELCOME

Carlos Acosta and Sean Foley demand recording has been made

by Ross MacGibbon and his team. Ross was also responsible for directing the beautiful Birmingham Royal Ballet film of David Bintley’s Cinderella for Channel 4, which will be touring next Spring. We are grateful to the Linbury Trust for its generous support of this collaboration.

Carlos Acosta and Sean Foley. © Joe Bailey

“We felt we couldn’t not do Christmas.

We’re so excited to bring a flurry of theatrical magic and seasonal warmth into families’ homes.”

Carlos Acosta and Sean Foley, directors of Birmingham Royal Ballet and The REP respectively, have bonded through similar frustrating experiences. They were both about to embark on their exciting first seasons this year, only for the pandemic to destroy their plans.

‘Our plans were destroyed but not our enthusiasm,’ says Carlos, who like Sean, is not prepared to be beaten.

A first for both companies, this livestream performance will enable audiences around the world to enjoy this adapted version of Sir Peter Wright’s much-loved production of The Nutcracker. The livestream and on-

Includes extracts of an interview with Roz Laws

Carlos and Sean’s partnership started in the autumn with live performances of Lazuli Sky. Carlos says, ‘we’re grateful The REP has opened its doors to us.

Together we’ve been adapting at the last minute, but we’ve been doing that since the start of lockdown, so we’re getting quite good at it now! Sean and I both think alike, we are both new to Birmingham and have this admiration for the city.’

We hope you enjoy The Nutcracker at The REP from the comfort of your homes and look forward to welcoming you back to live theatre next year.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas.

The Nutcracker at The REP Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Arranged by Rowland Lee Original Choreography by Peter Wright, Lev Ivanov, Vincent Redmon Adapted by David Bintley Production by Carlos Acosta, Sean Foley Based on original designs for the Birmingham Royal Ballet stage by John Macfarlane Additional props by Dick Bird Video and Projection Design by Nina Dunn Lighting Design by Johnny Westall-Eyre This performance was made possible thanks to the generous support of

Valentin Olovyannikov as The Rat King. © Andrew Ross

Welcome from Sir Peter Wright In 2017 Birmingham Royal Ballet was invited to present my production of Nutcracker at the Royal Albert Hall in London which has a vast central space that can be adapted for both opera and ballet.

The acoustics are superb but there are no facilities for hanging or flying the scenery. With my agreement, Sir David Bintley, until recently Director of the Company, took on the challenge and re-created the production, but still using my choreography and John Macfarlane’s beautiful costumes.

With the addition of an easily moveable set by Dick Bird and projections by 59 Productions, the show was a great success and has already been brought back three times by popular demand.

Today Birmingham Royal Ballet is facing an even greater challenge – Coronavirus! This has resulted in the part closure of Birmingham Hippodrome, the Company’s home theatre. The ever-changing restrictions laid down by the Government regarding social distancing, meant a great many changes to the planned 2020 Christmas season there, which sadly had to be cancelled.

It was then that Sean Foley, Artistic Director of Birmingham Repertory Theatre, stepped in and saved the day by offering to include The Nutcracker in their Christmas season. Carlos Acosta, Director of the Company, at once set about changing the Royal Albert Hall version to fit the vastly different

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dimensions of The REP stage. Together with Sir David’s brilliant contribution, things were shaping up really well, however Birmingham’s recent move to Tier 3 restrictions has meant that live performances with an audience are not now allowed.

Carlos, not to be daunted by this, has enlisted the support and expertise of ballet/dance film director, Ross McGibbon, and made this special live reel performance of Nutcracker. The cooperation of the dancers, musicians, technicians and wardrobe has been tremendous.

I hope you enjoy the results of all this incredible hard work.

THE STORY ACT I

ACT II

It is Christmas Eve and Dr Stahlbaum and his wife are giving a party. They have invited Herr Drosselmeyer, Godfather to their two children, Clara and her younger brother Fritz, to provide a magic show. Drosselmeyer is a gifted toy maker and he brings presents for the young children; a Nutcracker doll for Clara and a Rat King puppet for Fritz. Clara is fascinated by the Nutcracker and her belief that it has magical powers is confirmed when her brother breaks it and the doll strangely mends itself. The party comes to an end, the guests depart and the family goes to bed.

Clara arrives in a fantastic world, conjured up by Godfather Drosselmeyer, where she is greeted by a host of dolls from many different lands who seem familiar from Drosselmeyer’s toy shop. The dolls come to life and dance for her but the festivities are cut short when the Rat King bursts in. The Nutcracker Prince and Drosselmeyer restore order, by banishing him forever.

Unable to sleep, Clara creeps downstairs looking for the Nutcracker doll. As the clock strikes midnight, strange things begin to happen. The Nutcracker springs to life and, summoning the toy soldiers, defends Clara who is attacked by the Rat King.

The celebrations continue as the dolls perform their national dances. Finally, the glittering Sugar Plum Fairy dances a sparkling pas de deux with the Nutcracker Prince.

Clara grows sleepy. Finding herself back at the foot of the Christmas tree holding the Nutcracker doll, she wonders, ‘Was it all a magical dream?’

Realising that the Nutcracker is about to be overpowered, Clara hits the Rat King with her shoe and he collapses. The Nutcracker falls exhausted to the ground, seemingly lifeless.

Sadly, Clara takes him in her arms and tries to revive him.

He gradually comes back to life and, to her amazement, has turned into a handsome Prince. He dances with her, then leads her to the Land of Snow where the Winds transport her into the night sky.

Lachlan Monaghan as Jack-in-the-Box with Artists of Birmingham Royal Ballet. © Bill Cooper

For biographies of the creative team click here and dancers click here

Momoko Hirata as The Sugar Plum Fairy and CÊsar Morales as The Prince. Š Bill Cooper

THE CAST The Sugar Plum Fairy Momoko Hirata The Prince César Morales Drosselmeyer, a magician Jonathan Payn

Act I

Her Attendants

The Magician’s Assistant

Beatrice Parma, Lynsey Sutherland

Kit Holder

Karla Doorbar

Winds

Clara’s Mother, a former ballerina

Gabriel Anderson, Ryan Felix,

Eilis Small

Haoliang Feng, Callum Findlay-

Clara’s Father Clara, a ballet student

Rosanna Ely, Miki Mizutani,

Valentin Olovyannikov Fritz, Clara’s younger brother

White Snowflakes Artists of Birmingham Royal Ballet

Ben Whittaker -Brown Clara’s Dancing Partner

Interval

Max Maslen Fritz’s Friend Kian Malek

Spanish Dance

Grandmother

Beatrice Parma,

Emma Price

Gabriel Anderson, Kit Holder

Grandfather

Arabian Dance

Michael O’Hare

Eilis Small,

Butler Darel Perez The Nutcracker Doll Gus Payne The Sugar Plum Fairy Doll Momoko Hirata Jack-in-the-Box Tzu-Chao Chou Ballet Students, Cadets, Guests, Servants Artists of Birmingham Royal Ballet The Rat King Rosanna Ely as a Mirliton. © Bill Cooper

Act II

Alexander Yap

Haoliang Feng, Callum FindlayWhite, Alexander Yap Chinese Dance Max Maslen, Tzu-Chao Chou Russian Dance Ryan Felix, Gus Payne, Shuailun Wu Mirlitons Rosanna Ely, Miki Mizutani, Emma Price, Lynsey Sutherland Snowflakes and Flowers Artists of Birmingham Royal Ballet Grand pas de deux Momoko Hirata, César Morales

Soldiers, Rats Artists of Birmingham Royal Ballet The Snow Fairy Alys Shee

The livestream and on-demand recording has been made

by Ross MacGibbon and his team

For biographies of the dancers click here

Students and children appear by kind permission of the Principal and the Artistic Director of Elmhurst Ballet School.

ROYAL BALLET SINFONIA

Paul Murphy with members of the Royal Ballet Sinfonia. © Bill Cooper

Conductor Paul Murphy Players for this performance First Violins Robert Gibbs Leader Vanessa David Amanda Brown Deborah Schlenther Second Violins Mary Martin Robert Simmons Philip Aird Violas Errika Horsley Chris Pitsillides

Sir David Bintley’s

Cellos António Novais Jane Rainey Double Basses Vera Pereira Alan Taylor Flutes Joanna Shaw Sandra Skipper Piccolo Oboes Alaster Bentley Maxwell Spiers Cor anglais Clarinets Ian Scott Harry Penny Bass clarinet

Horns Andrew Littlemore Neil Mitchell Chris Pointon Trumpets Michael Allen Julie Ryan Trombone David Gordon Harp Sue Blair Timpani Grahame King Percussion Kevin Earley

Bassoon Llinos Owen Contra bassoon

Cinderella

★★★★★ Birmingham Mail

31 Mar – 10 Apr 2021

Momoko Hirata as Cinderella. © Sam Robinson

birminghamhippodrome.com

For the Royal Ballet Sinfonia list click here and Birmingham Royal Ballet’s staff list click here

INSIGHT Jonathan Payn, First Soloist & Artistic Enrichment Officer DROSSELMEYER

Jonathan Payn as Drosselmeyer with Karla Doorbar as Clara. © Andrew Ross

“So Drosselmeyer is regenerated for a third time, but what remains constant is that The Nutcracker remains our Christmas gift to you.”

It’s been wonderful to perform the part of Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker for so many years. It is a real combination of dancing and acting with a healthy dose of magic too. In our traditional production I can’t help but get excited to be on stage during the transformation scenes, sensing the tree grow, fireplace turn and King Rat suddenly appear. If I suspend belief I can kid myself that I’m making it all happen but in reality it is a massive team effort behind the stage.

In recent years it’s been a challenge to adapt the role for different stages. At the Royal Albert Hall, Drosselmeyer is put at the heart of the story and the transformation scenes, while different, are equally impressive in scale. Dancing to 5000 people is also thrilling.

Here at The REP we will be missing our audience. Carlos Acosta sees Drosselmeyer as more a ‘presence’ making things happen requiring him to dance less; this might be because there is less scenery and space and, while you won’t see the fireplace and tree growing, I promise you will still be under Drosselmeyer’s spell so you can accompany Clara as she gets whisked away on her fantastical journey. So Drosselmeyer is regenerated for a third time but what remains constant is that The Nutcracker remains our Christmas gift to you.

INSIGHT Errika Horsley, Viola, Royal Ballet Sinfonia

Errika Horsley. © Bill Cooper

“This year we will be seen across the globe, even my grandmother in Cyprus will be able to tune in. And believe it or not, I have never seen the show as I’m always in the pit – so even I’ll be able to watch it for the first time!”

To me, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker is as quintessentially Christmassy as mulled wine and mince pies. Seeing the audience arrive, dressed up in their Christmas best, excitedly waiting for the performance to start, never fails to fill me with the Christmas spirit. Looking up at our audience from the orchestra pit, we have the unusual vantage point of being able to see the joy on people’s faces.

Tchaikovsky’s incredible score plays a huge part in this joy. It includes some of ballet’s most recognisable pieces of music; ‘The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’, ‘Trepak – the Russian Dance’ and ‘The Dance of the Mirlitons’. This will be my seventh Christmas season as a member of the Royal Ballet Sinfonia and I will never forget my first Nutcracker rehearsal.

Everyone knew the music so well. I’m sure that several people could even play it from memory. It’s the small nuances that aren’t in our parts, the subtle changes to tempo for different dancers – all of this comes so naturally when you play the piece 40 times every Christmas. I’ve often been asked if I ever get bored playing the same music over and over, but how could I get bored when playing the wonderfully colourful score from Tchaikovsky!

Of course, this year will be a different experience for us all. I was so looking forward to the live performances but it wasn’t meant to be. Instead, for our special online show, we’re playing an adapted version by Rowland Lee for a slightly reduced orchestra due to social distancing rules. It’s still Tchaikovsky’s music, but in this score we are often doubling up on other instrument’s parts. We all need to pay extra special attention this year as there are extra notes we’re not expecting.

All of these challenges are nothing in comparison to what Birmingham Royal Ballet and the performing arts have had to overcome this year. We are all just so delighted to be able to bring you The Nutcracker, even if it is not in person. There are of course positives to our show being streamed. Normally only performing to Birmingham and London audiences, this year we will be seen across the globe. Even my grandmother in Cyprus will be able to tune in. And believe it or not, I have never seen the show as I’m always in the pit – so even I’ll be able to watch it for the first time!

# SundaySoundtrack Members of the Company, including dancers and musicians, have selected their favourite soundtracks to entertain you in Birmingham Royal Ballet’s #Sunday Soundtrack series. There is even a Festive offerering, perfect whilst you wrap the presents! Visit brb.org.uk/sunday-soundtrack

For Errika’s Sunday Soundtrack click here

INSIGHT Alys Shee, First Artist THE SNOW FAIRY

Alys Shee as the Snow Fairy. Š Bill Cooper

The Nutcracker is one of the most iconic ballets in history. Every year thousands of people all over the world are enthralled by the beauty of the dancers and enlivened by the festive joy it brings. I have had the pleasure of watching many versions from around the world live, and can say that our production is one of the best.

I have had the privilege to dance many amazing roles during my time in the Company and three of my favorites are from The Nutcracker – Snow Fairy, Sugar Plum Fairy and Arabe. Every year it returns and I love having the ability to revisit each role and reflect back on how far I have come since first

performing it. This will be my seventh run of performances of this ballet and there is always something new and exciting to find in a role even if I have done it many times before, because I am not the same dancer I was the year before.

Last year I had the opportunity to perform Sugar Plum Fairy, one of the most iconic roles in ballet history and, in my opinion, is the embodiment of what it is to be a ballerina. The Sugar Plum Fairy is one of the hardest roles I have had the honour of learning. It is the quintessential ballerina role because while the audience sees the beautiful makeup and the stunning

tutu and tiara, they do not see the blood, sweat, and tears that is required of the dancers who perform it. In my opinion what it means to be a dancer is to work and train our bodies, constantly improving our physicality so that when we arrive on the stage we are able to transcend technique and can connect with our audience and inspire emotion in them.

When I listen to the music of the pas de deux, I feel the same joy and love that I felt as a child watching The Nutcracker and my biggest hope for when I dance is that I can share those feelings with my audience.

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Alys Shee as the Snow Queen. © Bill Cooper

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INSIGHT Karla Doorbar, Soloist CLARA The Nutcracker is very special to me. It was the very first ballet I saw, by Birmingham Royal Ballet and I can still remember the magic. A friend of mine was dancing as one of the young children in the party scene and I remember so badly wanting to be on that stage too. I didn’t even know it was possible.

Every year at Christmas time The Nutcracker is performed by ballet companies all over the world. For many years as a student at the Royal Ballet School, I was involved in the Royal Ballet’s production at the Royal Opera House, London. I was living the dream! Every performance was just as magical as the one before it. Clara very quickly became one of my dream roles – I could just see myself dancing her. I found everything happening in the ballet just as magical as she does and that is the same feeling I try to remember each time I return to the role of Clara.

Dancing Clara is just a joy! I think the happiness I get from dancing this role cannot be beaten. I love winter and Christmas time; I love the story and I love going on that journey with the incredible dancers in this company who are so talented that I am genuinely in awe.

Karla Doorbar as Clara with Max Maslen, Gus Payne and Lachlan Monaghan in Russian Dance. © Bill Cooper

FreeFall Dance Company Freefall Dance Company, a group of ten highly gifted dancers with severe learning disabilities, has been creating and performing daring, ground-breaking and award winning dance since 2002. They have just released their own beautiful animation of The Nutcracker. To watch, click here

For further information about Freefall Dance Company click here

INSIGHT Robert Gibbs, First Violin and Leader The first time I played The Nutcracker was in 1990 I believe, sitting at the back of the violins as an extra player. The person I shared a desk with was brilliant at memorising anything – so we decided to learn a movement a performance starting from the last number until we had the whole work covered.

This meant we were able to see where our conductor Barry Wordsworth would be watching the stage, and we could safely do the same – to watch Sir Peter Wright’s wonderful production ! I am sure Barry knew what was happening but kindly turned a blind eye!

It may be interesting to know that although Tchaikovsky loved the original Hoffmann fairytale he was less taken with Petipa’s adaptation, and the Director of the Imperial Russian Ballet (now the Mariinsky) Ivan Vsevolozhsky did his best to mediate between the two. Several months after Tchaikovsky had started work on the composition he wrote ‘I have experienced agonies of remorse for asking you to do this ballet, I know that it is unappealing to you. You are an exceptionally kind soul for not refusing me!’

It would seem from the order of composition, starting in February 1891, that the Spanish, Chinese and Russian dances were planned for Act I in Petipa’s vision, and it is likely that Tchaikovsky continued composing when he visited France in March and April – possibly not when in Paris – but almost certainly when he had more free time in Rouen. He incorporates both a French folksong – Girofle – Girofla and an 18th-century comic song Bon Voyage M. Dumolet into Act I. It would seem that Tchaikovsky wasn’t happy with his score either, saying on its completion ‘The ballet is infinitely worse than Sleeping Beauty – of this I am sure’, and at its premiere in St Petersburg conducted by Drigo ‘everything went perfectly, but nevertheless it seemed to me the public did not like it, they were bored!’ Indeed it wasn’t a great success, not even in this country where it was first performed at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in 1934. It didn’t gain its current popularity until the 1970s.

Tchaikovsky was very influenced by Mozart and indeed he wrote that it was hearing Don Giovanni for the first time when he was 17 that convinced him to devote his life to composition. There is so much in Nutcracker that is Mozartean in nature, so full of charm and subtlety – it is always a delight!

Momoko Hirata as the Sugar Plum Fairy. © Bill Cooper

MEET THE CHARACTERS Clara Our heroine. The Nutcracker is all about Clara and her adventures on a magical Christmas Eve.

Drosselmeyer He is the magician who gives all the children presents at the Christmas party. He uses his magic to take Clara on an adventure she will never forget.

The Rat King The baddie! He and his rat minions jump out of the fireplace and try to kidnap Clara. Luckily the toy soldiers save her.

The Prince Clara’s Nutcracker Doll comes to life and is magically turned into a handsome Prince who whisks her off to a magical land.

The Sugar Plum Fairy The beautiful ballerina Clara dreams she will become one day.

Illustrations. Š Sarah Ray

NUTCRACKER ACTIVITY SHEETS Spot the Difference There are ten differences between the two pictures on this page. Can you find them all? Once you’ve found them, you can colour both the pictures in

For more Nutcracker-thesed activity sheets click here

LEAP ACTIVITIES LEARNING, ENGAGEMENT, ACCESS AND PARTICIPATION Dance Track Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Dance Track is a free-ofcharge programme designed to identify, nurture and develop talent and potential in young people aged six to eight. It has been Birmingham Royal Ballet’s flagship outreach programme at the heart of the community for more than 23 years, delivering workshops annually to some 2,500 young people in schools across Birmingham.

Our Dance Track students have been busy through the autumn term learning the ‘Children’s party dance’ from Act I of The Nutcracker. Despite the cancelled performances and with students being unable to participate in this year’s Birmingham Royal Ballet production due to COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines, we wanted to bring the magic of Nutcracker and Christmas alive through our zoom lessons.

Our students have been working incredibly hard to learn the difficult steps and have been busy sending in their videos. We will be endeavouring to edit a whole children’s party dance to remember so that it is not lost in 2020! We are so proud of our students and teachers for persevering with the Dance Track programme through the challenges this year has delivered; they have however also had the opportunity to try out new styles of dance including Mime, Tap, Jazz and contemporary watch this space for the multi-talented dancers of the future!

A Leap Ambassador assisting with a Dance Track session. © Hannah MacGregor LEAP Ambassadors are a group of young people aged 16-25 who have been selected via application onto Birmingham Royal Ballet’s professional development programme, led by the LEAP department. The programmes main focus is to provide young people with the skills needed to create, take part in and contribute to community arts projects in the future.

LEAP activity is at the heart of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s drive to make a difference to people’s lives.

Through reaching out into communities, the LEAP team introduce people of all ages, backgrounds and ethnicities to the art form, engaging them in opportunities that are current and resonate with them.

For more news from the LEAP department click here

Ballet in a Box Despite the restrictions of 2020 the LEAP department have launched a brand-new education programme for schools Ballet in a Box – The Nutcracker. It offers a cross curricular approach to learning, through the magical story, themes and stimuli of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker.

A dancer's touring box filled with two Birmingham Royal Ballet costumes, a Nutcracker Doll, pointe shoes, model touring truck, story-guides and a teacher's resource pack, are delivered into school for a half term. Following a CPD session for teachers we offer a workshop digitally or in person into schools, so that the students can experience an inspiring workshop with our dance artist and pianist. The project has been designed to offer teachers the opportunity to explore the ballet in a variety of ways and through many academic subjects, using a fun and exciting approach.

THANK YOU

© Ty Singleton

Major Supporters Carol Barrie The Foyle Foundation Charles Glanville and James Hogan Lord Glendonbrook Aud Jebsen Jerwood Foundation The Kirby Laing Foundation David and Mary Laing The Linbury Trust The Michael Bishop Foundation Tony Newcombe Oak Foundation The Patrick Trust

Dancers’ Circle – Principal Jayne Cadbury and Nigel Goodman Julia and Anthony Glossop Tony Newcombe Michael and Joan Perry Sally & Steve Rowe

Dancers’ Circle – Soloist CMP Wealth Management Richard and Jennie Cunis Marian Mulady Teresa Sanminiatelli Gillian Shaw John Weston Dancers’ Circle – Artist Philip Baldwin and Phillip Arnold Jenny Batelen and Rob Brett Roger and Felicity Burman Amanda Carter Jill and Andrew Chapman Dr Jim Clews Guy and Judy Crofts Irving and Olga David Robyn Durie Susan and Frederick Furniss Tessa Gillespie Prof Caroline Gordon P.S. and C.A. Gravestock Wendy and Gordon Hardy Jill and Malcolm Harris Tom Hotchkiss Dr Sandra Kendall Tessa and Charles King-Farlow

For a list of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s generous supporters click here

Shirley Leaver Hilary Macaulay Chantelle Mackay Robert and Eleanor Nagle Katie Newbon Linda Nicholls David and Win Normington Rosemary Perl Keith Perry Emily Pillinger Chris Relph Ross Roberts Carole Sallnow Barbara Scott Miles Scott and Lucille Roughley Margaret Shand Su and Richard Simkin Carla and Dilys Skinner Nick Makin and Brenda Sumner Ron & Jackie Treverton-Jones

and to our corporate supporters and our many individual supporters who prefer to remain anonymous.