The Nutcracker by Birmingham Royal Ballet

Rory Mackay as Drosselmeyer

A cracking ballet that you would be nuts to miss! Have you guessed what it is yet? Yes, it is the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s festive classic, The Nutcracker. Returning to the Birmingham Hippodrome after extensive rebuilding of the sets, this beautiful ballet is a wonderful start to the Christmas season.

Karla Doorbar as Clara

As we followed Clara through her family’s Christmas Eve festivities we were treated not only to mesmerising ballet, but also a magical performance, stunning costumes and scenery that brought the whole experience to life. These only became more so as we followed Clara through her journey to the lands of snow and sweets and home again. Whether being attacked by rats, flying on a snow white swan or being transformed into the Sugar Plum Fairy, Clara led us into a world of imagination fuelled by the beauty of what was laid out on stage before us.

For those who know The Nutcracker, you will not be disappointed, as the storyline is true to Sir Peter Wright’s original production which was gifted to the people of Birmingham. And the people came to receive it, as the cavernous Hippodrome Theatre was virtually full to capacity. However, it was this popularity, as well as the many other events going on in Birmingham (as well as some unfortunate roadworks) that nearly resulted in us missing the first act due to a severe lack of parking spaces. So, my advice? Book now. Leave home early. Park a bit further away than you normally would. Have a walk through Birmingham as it lights up for Christmas. Get lost in a magical world.

Special thanks to Birmingham Royal Ballet for inviting us along to review the show.

Photo credit to Bill Cooper

https://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/calendar/brb-nutcracker-22/#performances

This show is perfect for families and BRB offers some special packages:

Young people can watch The Nutcracker for as little as £15.25 with the Family Offer. available at someTuesday to Friday performances, Under-16s tickets pay half the price of an accompanying full-price paying adult.

Comments

Preparing to Potty Train

I do not have the perfect method for potty training. I am not an expert. I found potty training my daughter to be really, really hard work. This blog aims to share my experiences about how we prepared for potty training. I have found a great deal of support and encouragement from other parents, people who have been through similar experiences. Sometimes conversations make me think- ‘I’d never do that!’ or ‘Great idea’ or just reminded me that I needed to get on and do something. I hope that reading this is like having an encouraging friend. We started quite early for most children in the UK at 20 months. Back in the 70s and 80s this was pretty common from what I can gather so I decided to just get on with it. There were some reasons which influenced my decision- Little Lady wore cloth nappies some of the time and truthfully, I was fed up of the dreaded soaking bucket in the garage. She also hated having her nappy changed by this age and would cry and scream- I’d had enou...

Starting School

Starting school is a huge event in a child’s (and parent’s) life. There are new routines, new clothes and other new children. Having seen this transition as a Deputy Head Teacher, and more recently as a parent, I believe that there are some things that parents can do to make this move as smooth as possible. Here are my top four thoughts. Firstly, there are some brilliant books about starting school. My all-time favourite is Starting School by the Alhbergs. It’s obviously dated in parts. For instance, most schools won’t have a mum who comes into school to play the piano! However, it is beautifully illustrated and shows the different parts of the school day and events during the first term at school which provide lots to talk about. Other great titles are ‘Bella Starts School’ and ‘Harry and the Dinosaurs go to School’, both by Ian Whybrow. It’s well worth investing in a book or two, as they can be revisited lots of times during the school year. Secondly, ...

MiniBrum

What is it? MiniBrum is a play space for under eights based on the theme of a mini Birmingham. There are different areas for children to explore including a canal barge, a construction zone and a shop. The whole of MiniBrum is designed to support children’s role play and exploration of real life spaces. The unique interactive gallery has been created with the input of over 800 children and families from across Birmingham. Where is it? Mini Brum is part of ThinkTank which is Birmingham’s science museum. MiniBrum is on the third floor next to the recently revamped planetarium. Entry to ThinkTank is £14 per adult and £10.25 per child. Under 3’s are free and during Birmingham term time there is a special adult and toddler (aged 3-5) ticket for £15. Another great offer is the £3 per person entry fee after 3pm on term time weekdays. When does it open? It opens to the public on 25 th May in time for half term. I would expect it to be very busy. My advice woul...

Capable Child

Search This Blog