Piciture: Bill Cooper

Review: The Northern Ballet's The Nutcracker, Canterbury's Marlowe Theatre, Tuesday, November 1 to Saturday, November 5

by Lesley Bellew

Christmas has come early to Canterbury with Northern Ballet's return to the Marlowe Theatre.

The sell-out audience on the opening night of The Nutcracker (Tuesday) were transported into a magical kingdom as they followed the Nutcracker Prince and Clara into a snowy fairyland.

Principal dancer Ashley Dixon, as the Prince, gave a strong performance, adding a contemporary twist to the classical role.

Northern Ballet has dropped 'Theatre' from its title but the dazzling regency costumes and bespoke scenery by designer Charles Cusick-Smith added layer upon layer of magic to the dance as the living room turned into a toy battlefield and then into a land of snow.

Cusick-Smith had just six weeks to produce the set and using the interior of Brighton Pavilion as an influence was a master stroke.

The Chinese dolls, Russian cossacks and Arabian princes captured the exotic elements of the dance while the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier performed faultless fouettes.

All this was topped off with Northern Ballet Sinfonia performing Tchaikovsky's flowing score to send theatre-goers humming the music along the city's streets.

The Nutcracker is a ballet full of dreams and enchantment and Northern Ballet added a perfect sprinkling of fairy dust.

Look out for news of Northern Ballet's return to the Marlowe next year with Beauty and the Beast.

Tickets for The Nutcracker cost £16 to £38 with £3 off for concessions. Box office 01227 787787.