A cracker for children

Everyone has been so rude about ENB's latest production of The Nutcracker, new last year, that you begin to think it can't all be true. Admittedly, Gerald Scarfe's designs overpower much of the plot, and the ballet doesn't have much of a plot to begin with, while Christopher Hampson's pantomimic choreography makes no attempt to scratch the story's surface.

There's nothing wrong with the ballet's modern-day setting, but there is some rather-too-saucy business about Viagra, and some unbelievably clunky transitions between the dance numbers.

You're probably wondering what merit is left, and if you bracket Nutcracker with the other two Tchaikovsky biggies (The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake), you may not find much. However, you have to remember that this production is aimed at young children who want to la-la along to Tchaikovsky's melodies rather than mull over the music's emotional complexities. And pre-school kiddies who like the Teletubbies will love Scarfe's cartoonish designs.

Many of the costumes are vivid and appealing, grotesque in a kiddie-friendly sort of way, like a surreal sweet shop with bright colours and exaggerated shapes. The wigs and head-dresses are especially good, as are the striped Mirliton costumes that make your eyes go fuzzy when they spin and pirouette.

Also good were the SAS-style soldiers in the Act I mouse battle, and the national dances in Act II, with a woolly bear for the Russian Dance (a barnstorming Yat-Sen Chang), and a take-away tricycle and four waiters for the Chinese Dance. However, some of the tutus were less good, with the Waltz of the Flowers costumes looking amdram and the Sugar Plum Fairy's white ensemble bordering on the naff.

And what of the choreography? In truth, it's thin, although stellar husband-and-wife duo Thomas Edur and Agnes Oaks (Edur as the Prince, Oaks as the Sugar Plum Fairy) can rescue almost anything. On opening night the pair were on glorious form, Edur in particular, who danced with the precision of a freshly sharpened pair of scissors.

Also worth a mention is Gary Avis as Drosselmeyer. This production portrays him as a magician (he's usually a toymaker) who conjures dreamy fantasies for the young Clara (a much-too-thin Alice Crawford). The role was created last year by Irek Mukhamedov, who looked as if the role was beneath him (but not his bank balance). Avis takes things more seriously.

English National Ballet: The Nutcracker