Stephen A’Court
Header image: Aunt Drosselmeyer runs a film on her projector for the family to watch. Above, from top: A bird flies about at the bach. Principals Mayu Tanigaito and Laurynas Vėjalis. The Snowflakes in the Land of the Snow. Artist Cadence Barrack. Soloist Jemima Scott.
The Royal New Zealand Ballet’s reimagining of The Nutcracker débuted tonight at the St James Theatre in Wellington to a packed house, eager to see the company’s new taken on the Tchaikovsky classic.
Choreographed by Ty King-Wall, The Nutcracker is the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s biggest production of 2025. Taking the setting to a 1950s Kiwi summer Christmas at the bach (beach house), the ballet opens with a digital display of a typical scene on the curtain, with pōhutukawa in the foreground and a sunny seaside in the background, which gently starts moving as the overture is played.
King-Wall has kept the movements classical, retaining the full score, but has cleverly rethought the characters and how events lead up to a wintry scene and the Land of the Sweets, where dancers representing chocolate fish, hokey pokey ice-cream, lolly slice and pavlova—all Kiwi favourites—replace the national dances from the original scenario.
The costumes by Tracy Grant Lord were among the best and most original of the company’s ballets, from the opening family scene and its summer apparel to the different confectionery that had audiences joyfully and nostalgically figuring out what each represented. Lord noted that the 1950s is a favourite era for her with the democratization of fashion and a touch of Hollywood glamour. Inspiration included period tourism board posters, especially the bright colours. The beachside scene, the rapidly growing pōhutukawa tree, and the castle at the Land of the Sweets, are have the effect of being without fuss and over-adornment.
It was once again over to the talented Jon Buswell to light the set to reflect this vision, and the result could well have been one of those period postcards or Christmas cards. It was that evocative.
Lord’s Snowflakes at the Land of the Snow donned turbans and tulle, and took us back further to the 1920s, and the snow effects in this third scene gave this Nutcracker a magical, otherworldly quality, especially after the underworld with the battle against the Mouse King and his pests.
It was a delight to see Catarina Estévez Collins in the lead role of Clara tonight, the first time we’ve witnessed her at the top of the bill, with the highlight her pas de deux with the Nutcracker Prince. We thought before the show that Laurynas Vėjalis would make a good Prince, and, sure enough, he was cast accordingly,with a number of lifts and leap turns ably performed. Mayu Tanigaito was very welcome as the Sugar Plum Fairy with a splendid solo, and a pas de deux with Véjalis in the second act. Guest character artist Moana Nepia, as the widowed Koro, gave emotional gravitas to the family scene. We need to give special mention to the children who performed in the family scenes, for lifting them and making them feel more like an authentic Kiwi Christmas.
We didn’t have a flying bed as in the 2010 version performed by the Royal New Zealand Ballet, but there was another device that transported Aunt Drosselmeyer, Clara and the Prince to different lands, which we won’t spoil here.
Hamish McKeich expertly conducted the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, a trusted hand for the classical Tchaikovsky score.
The Nutcracker blended the classical and contemporary elements seamlessly and will delight not just fans of this well known ballet, but anyone in Aotearoa who will have fun spotting all the cultural references. Even those unfamiliar with them will find this ballet an uplifting, fun production, with careful detail and choreography, and a simple, innocent plot that even children will enjoy (there were three in the row in front of us who clearly did).
The Nutcracker, presented by Ryman Healthcare, begins October 30 at Wellington’s St James Theatre, running till November 8, before heading to Christchurch’s Isaac Theatre Royal for November 12–16. Dunedin hosts at the Regent on November 21 and 22, followed by the Municipal Theatre in Napier on November 28 amd 29, before travelling to Auckland at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre in the Aotea Centre from December 4 to 13, finishing at the Regent on Broadway in Palmerston North for December 19 and 20. Music by Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky will be performed live by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and the Auckland Philharmonia. Tickets are available here.
Jack Yan is founder and publisher of Lucire.
Stephen A’Court
Above, from top: Principal Kate Kadow. Artists Catarina Esteves Collins and Hannah Thomson. Principals Mayu Tanigaito and Laurynas Véjalis. Catarina Esteves Collins in a solo.
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