The Nutcracker

On arriving at the theatre I was pessimistic. Pre-show research was limited, ranging from raving reviews to complete write-offs so; naturally, there was no real way to prepare for what I was to witness. Entering the theatre auditorium to find cast members walking amongst the audience was the point at which I felt this play was not designed for budding actors and directors and as I took my seat there was a large sense that the performance would less than exhilarating. However, for the first time in my short drama critic career I was shown to be horribly wrong about the show as what was presented was a piece of top class theatre. The story was adapted by acclaimed writer Hattie Naylor with music and lyrics from Paul Dodgson and was the headlining performance of the Family Theatre Festival in Bath’s Royal Theatre, this in itself seemed to put pressure on the performance but there was no sign whatsoever of any falter or nervousness from the cast who made the show stunning to watch. The first act set a great atmosphere amongst the audience, appealing to both young and old audience members, I felt the warmth of the piece from the start, the ebb and flow of the story kept the narrative engaging and ultimately produced a pedestal for the second half, which in all honesty was truly brilliant. The second act was the moment in which I felt most drawn to the piece, there was a definite sense of childhood innocence in the play and not only did I feel the excitement of the visual effects I found myself strangely harrowed by the violence and gore which was used to perfection especially in one moment in which the Queen rat takes a bite out of the King’s baby and proceeds to dribble and gargle blood all over herself. Most poignant for me was the war scene in the penultimate scenes of the play, the use of paper airplanes and ping pong balls to connote war ad fighting was superb, not only did it keep the show family orientated it was absolutely amazing to watch. Overall I felt this show stood out for me as it was so unexpectedly fantastic. The cast we professional, the visual effects were stunning and in general it was a joy to watch. If you’re looking for that inner child, this is the play for you. Thom's Star Rating ******