The Nutcracker Ballet -London

The English National Ballet operates the Nutcracker Ballet out of the London Coliseum. If you are looking for some thing to do before the ballet, head toward Trafalgar Square or the National Portrait Gallery both are within a short walking distance.

Trafalgar Square

Tickets purchased through lastminute.com are dodgy. Beware of what you are purchasing. I thought our tickets were in the Dress circle (some of the best seats in the house), but in the fine print it said dress circle or upper circle if dress circle not available. It was a sold out show and we were sat in the tiny little claustrophobic seats of the upper circle. It gets very warm in the “nose bleed section”, be prepared. You can not take photos or video either; so leave your camera at home instead of lugging it around. 

The ballet itself was nice. For those of you who do not know the story of the Nutcracker it's about a young girl who receives a Nutcracker toy for Christmas then her brother promptly breaks it. Her grandfather, a toymaker and giver of the Nutcracker, quickly fixes it and gives it back to the young girl. On Christmas Eve she falls asleep and dreams her Nutcracker comes to life to save her from the evil Mouse King. The Nutcracker turns into a prince after the Mouse King is defeated and takes the young girl, Clara, to an enchanted wonderland where they meet the sugar plum fairies and are celebrated by several different dances (these dances: The Spanish Dance, The Arabian Dance, The Russian Dance & The Chinese Dance I do not remember as a child). Clara then awakes from her dream with her Nutcracker in arms.

Would be highly recommended for children and there is no dress code. Some of the dancers were out of sync, perhaps they just needed more practice? I believe this would be a wonderful ballet for a first-timer.

The ballet lasts approximately two hours with an intermission (time to get ice cream- or wine for adults). Can’t say that I felt moved by the dancers or by the “love” she had for the Nutcracker, but it was a decent show.