The favourite family fairytale ballet is back for Grove’s magical winter season

The Nutcracker, a family-orientated classical ballet, is coming to The Grove Theatre, presented by the Russian State Ballet and Opera House.

Based on a book by E.T.A. Hoffman, The Nutcracker tells the story of a girl called Marie, whose godfather Drosselmeyer gives her a Nutcracker doll as a present on Christmas Eve.

The doll turns into a Prince and the magic begins.

Russian State Ballet and Opera House is known for its attention to detail and dramatisation of the tragedy and beauty of this ballet.

With glitz, glamour and beautiful costumes, this production is set to be both intimate and powerful.

It features all the favourite elements of Tchaikovsky’s timeless score, including Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Waltz of the Flowers.

Alexej Ignatow, producer of Russian State Ballet and Opera House, said: “Every year we aim to bring a different artist to the UK, which means that although you may have seen a Nutcracker ballet one year, next time the set, costumes, artists and even choreography will be different. It will feel like a different show altogether, but still with the same high level of quality.

“We often get asked how would you encourage people who have never seen a ballet before, to come and attend a ballet for the first time? And my instant reply is that you don’t need to be an expert in classical ballet or music. We ensure that the set and costumes make the production easy to follow. The music is beautiful and sometimes even if you lose the plot, just close your eyes to enjoy the music.”

Full of mystery and romance, this ballet has captured the imagination of many generations over the years and continues to attract audiences young and old worldwide. It is just as spellbinding today as it was when it was first performed over 120 years ago.