STORYTIME BALLET - The Nutcracker - The Canberra Theatre Centre Playhouse.

 

Bronte Mollison in The Nutcracker.

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Production and additional Choreography: David McAllister

Music: Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Orchestra Victoria. Conductor: Nicolette Fraillon

Costume Design: Krystal Giddings – Set Design: Kat Chan

Repetiteur: Paul Knobloch – Stage Manager: Rebecca Zarb

Canberra Theatre Centre Playhouse – 8^th – 11^th, January 2025.

2.00pm Matinee performance on 10^th January reviewed by BILL STEPHENS

One of the jewels in the crown of The Australian Ballet is their Storytime Ballet series. Devised by David McAllister during his time as Artistic Director, Storytime Ballet was conceived as an introduction to ballet for children as young as 3 years of age.

Each year, since 2015, the company has presented a popular classical ballet in the Storytime Ballet format. The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and The Nutcracker are popular choices.

Artfully scaled-back by McAllister to be performed without an interval for a performance lasting just under an hour, the productions preserve the original Petipa choreography, edited to meet time limitations, and augmented with McAllister’s own choreography to preserve continuity.

The synopsis crafted by McAllister for this production presents a Christmas Eve gathering, where Drosselmeyer the Magician captivates attendees with enchanted dolls that animate and perform for the assembled guests. At the conclusion of the celebration, Drosselmeyer bestows gifts upon each child; Clara, his host's daughter, receives a Nutcracker doll.

Later that evening, after the departure of all guests, Clara quietly descends the staircase to check on her cherished present. As midnight approaches, a magical transformation unfolds in which the Nutcracker becomes a Prince who springs to life and engages in battle with the Rat King. Clara intervenes, striking the King with her slipper and rescuing the Nutcracker.

 

Rory Taylforth as the Nutcracker Prince in "The Nutcracker"

In gratitude, the Prince escorts Clara to the Kingdom of Sweets, where she is entertained by an array of dances led by the Sugar Plum Fairy. Ultimately, the Prince returns Clara home, where she awakens at the base of the Christmas tree, embracing her Nutcracker doll.

All this is achieved seamlessly, without an interval, but with a charming setting by Kat Chan, which features a magical Christmas tree which grows and grows, and other clever effects to surprise and delight the young audience.

For some of the productions the company repurposes costumes from its mainstage productions of these ballets. For its Storytime Ballet version of The Sleeping Beauty, Hugh Coleman’s magnificent costumes from Maina Gielgud’s 1984 production were brought back into use. The company also tours a foyer display featuring some of these heritage costumes so that the young budding ballet dancers can see them up close.

The lovely costumes featured in The Nutcracker this year, were specially designed for the 2017 Storytime Ballet season of this ballet by Krystal Giddings.

As with previous Storytime Ballet seasons, the ten young dancers who make up the Storytime Ballet company are primarily drawn from the corps de ballet of The Australian Ballet, with some young, emerging dancers who have recently graduated from The Australian Ballet School.

The series provides valuable performance and touring experience for these artists, who tour under the watchful eye of repetiteur Paul Knobloch who has been associated with Storytime Ballet since its inception in 2015. All share roles, and most perform multiple characters, and costume changes, during the ballet.

 

Bronte Mollison as Clara in "The Nutcracker"

At the performance reviewed, Bronte Mollison won hearts as a delightfully animated and technically accomplished Clara. Natalie Henry shone as the Sugar Plum Fairy and  also portrayed Clara’s Mother in the party scene. Rory Taylforth impressed with his technical brilliance, princely bearing and attentive partnering as both The Prince and the Nutcracker.

As well as joining others to portray children in the party scene, Noah Sharpe proved suitably frightening as the Rat King. But it was during the Spanish Dance, for which he partnered Amelie Marks, that both got to exhibit their impressive style and attack.

Claudia Gordon as Columbine in "The Nutcracker"

Claudia Gordon and Alexander Mitchell charmed as Columbine and Harlequin, before   Claudia joined Calista Lewis to delight as cheeky Mirlitons, while Alexander Mitchell joined Zachary Medved to dazzle their audience with an athletic Chinese dance while manipulating a spectacular dragon costume.  

Flame - haired Reiley Kohler marked himself as a dancer-to-watch during his thrilling Russian Dance in which he exhibited remarkable ballon and athleticism.

The eleventh member of the team is the narrator, Sean McGrath, who performs an essential non-dancing role as the magician, Drosselmeyer, who also narrates the story.

 

Sean McGrath as Drosselmeyer in "The Nutcracker"

Remarkably, McGrath has narrated every Storytime Ballet performance since the concept premiered in 2015.

 It’s a role he executes with charm and style, captivating his young audience immediately with some deliberately mis-timed magic tricks, before encouraging them to wave their sparkling wands, or wriggle fingers if mum’s budget didn’t run to magic wands, while appearing to be as enchanted as they are as the real theatrical magic of the ballet begins to engulf them.

For adults, part of the charm of these performances is watching the young audience (and their mums, dads, and grandparents) respond to every nuance of the storytelling, enhanced by exquisite dancing, settings and costumes.

Following its Canberra season Storytime Ballet moves on to Brisbane from 15^th -18^th  January and Melbourne from 22^{nd -} - 25^th January.

                                                                   Photos by Daniel Boud 

   This review also appears in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW. www.artsreview.com.au