Review: The Nutcracker, Bristol Hippodrome – ‘An earnest performance’

The family favourite and Christmas essential, The Nutcracker returns to the Bristol Hippodrome, courtesy of Varna International Ballet who have just been touring the UK with a collection of ballets, including Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet.

For those not familiar with the tale, it revolves around a young girl, Marie and the toy Nutcracker she is gifted who later experiences a fantastical transformation into the flesh.

Drosselmeyer, the toy maker and magician who gives Marie the figurine, conjures up a world in which the Nutcracker was once a prince – before being turned into the Nutcracker out of spite by the malevolent Queen of Mice.

The toy maker dresses his lifeless mannequin-like players, standing stiffly in a trio. He places upon each a hat, igniting the spark within them all as they slowly come to life, like a block of ice thawing in the winter sun.

It is within this realm that we are drawn into the conflict between the Queen, King, little princess and prince and the Queen of Mice, following alongside Marie and her friends and family as the fairytale unfolds in front of them.

The cast bring much energy to the roles; in particular, Agnese Di Dio Masa is worthy of mention as Fritz, the infantile and foolhardy brother of Marie. She lets her expression and movements guide her through the reckless abandonment of play, leading the rest of the ensemble through the story within a story.

Marie, embodied by Andrea Conforti, plays the counterpart to Fritz well. She is dainty and cautious in her movements, occasionally too much, as if uncertain in her principal role. It isn’t until she is paired with the Nutcracker turned Prince, played by Giovanni Pompei, that his support seems to elevate her confidence as a true partnership should.

The lifts between them are executed with striking finesse, hitting each position with ease as she soars above his head. The Prince personifies air and grace, balanced with strength in his lines, a quality that is noticeably lacking within the cast.

Perhaps it is the relatively young age of the cast, but they struggle to own the space, which in a ballet is essential, especially one that lacks in costume and set design. While they are all able to demonstrate deep consideration for each move, there is a decided lack of strong lines, full extensions and explosive movement.

It is only when we move through each themed dance, Spanish, Arabic and Chinese, that we see more full-bodied characterisation of the roles with the ensemble truly coming together as a unit.

For example, the snowflakes dance draped in white, gliding in unison with the tip-tapping of their perfectly timed steps.

More attention and time has visibly been given to the costumes in these performances, which help to bring much needed colour and texture to the piece.

 

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Like many people, I believe The Nutcracker to be a must-see ballet, and I had high expectations for this version. However, I think Varna allows the show to rest too much on the familiarity and prestige of the timeless classic.

It is a heart-warming story with a talented cast who perform in their earnest, but ultimately the company needs to push the creativity of their retelling and the confidence of its dancers to claim the space.

For all upcoming events at Bristol Hippodrome, visit www.atgtickets.com.

All photos: Varna International Ballet

Read next:

• Review: Birmingham City Ballet – The Swan Lake, Bristol Hippodrome – ‘Surpassed my wildest expectations’
• Review: Edward Scissorhands, Bristol Hippodrome – ‘Haunting, funny, evocative – it’s Matthew Bourne at his enchanting best’
• Review: The Nutcracker, Bristol Hippodrome – ‘A riotously kitsch fantasy show’