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The Nutcracker

20 Dec 2024 – 8 Feb 2025
Twice-Born

6 – 8 Mar 2025
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The Royal New Zealand Ballet with Scottish Ballet

14 – 15 Mar 2025
The Crucible

17 Apr – 24 May 2025

The Scottish Ballet online shop is now closed for the festive break. Any orders placed during this time will be despatched on Monday 6 January.

The Nutcracker

A MAGICAL FAMILY ADVENTURE

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Costumes plucked from the most gorgeous chocolate box; Tchaikovsky’s score to transport you to a land of dreams; and a story lifted straight from the pages of a classic fairy tale.

We follow Clara on a journey through the worlds of her imagination, as she drifts off to sleep on Christmas Eve. She meets the Nutcracker Prince, takes on the larger-than-life Rat King, sees snowflakes dance in the Land of Ice and Snow, and is whisked into the luscious Land of Sweets by the Sugar Plum Fairy!

Scottish Ballet’s The Nutcracker brings light and joy to winter for audiences of all ages. Enjoy a visual feast as we take you and your family on a fantastical adventure. With live music played by the Scottish Ballet Orchestra, this ever-popular ballet is the perfect festive treat.

This winter, The Nutcracker will be more magical than ever. Choreographer/Director Christopher Hampson CBE, along with Scottish Ballet’s dancers and resident choreographers, are revisiting this beloved production, creating new choreography to infuse it with even more sparkle and excitement, drawing inspiration from our founder Peter Darrell’s original version.

Scottish Ballet’s The Nutcracker promises to enchant a new generation of audiences while honouring the timeless magic that has made it a cherished holiday tradition.

Running time: The performance lasts approximately 1 hour 50 minutes including one 20-minute interval.

#SBNutcracker

Tour Dates

Theatre Royal, Glasgow

6 – 30 December 2024

Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

8 – 18 January 2025

Eden Court, Inverness

22 – 25 January 2025

His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen

29 January – 1 February 2025

Theatre Royal, Newcastle

6 – 8 February 2025

 

★★★★★

Scottish Ballet’s Nutcracker is a captivating treat for all ages

The Herald

★★★★★

A confident, enchanting and highly stylish take on a much-loved classic – a gorgeous Christmas ballet

The Telegraph

Credits

Director & Choreographer

Christopher Hampson CBE

Music

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Lighting

George Thomson

Set & Costume Design

Lez Brotherston OBE

Additional Choreography

Javier Andreu

Annie Au

Jessica Fyfe

Sophie Laplane

Nicholas Shoesmith

Kerry Livingstone

Audio Introduction

Get ready for The Nutcracker before attending the performance. Listen to our FREE audio synopsis, music and interview with Scottish Ballet dancers.

Extra Events

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For Friends

Warming Up for The Nutcracker

Join us at your local theatre to watch the company take class before a day of performances of The Nutcracker.

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Access

Tickets

Audio Described Performances

In each venue we offer an Audio Described performance on a Saturday afternoon for people with visual impairments. These performances are preceded by a Touch Tour.

Tickets

Relaxed Performance

In Edinburgh we offer a Relaxed performance for anyone who would benefit from watching The Nutcracker in a more informal setting.

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Tickets

Close up of a dancer's arms held up separately with poised hands
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Access

Find out more about Scottish Ballet’s access offering from performances and films, to classes and visiting our building.

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Gallery

A ballet dancer performs in a graceful pose on stage in front of a large, ornate Christmas tree. They are wearing a white tutu, and the stage is decorated with intricate snowflake patterns. A person sits on a sled in the background, watching.

Behind the scenes

Rehearsal gallery

A group of dancers practicing in a studio, each holding an orange folding fan. The focus is on a dancer in the foreground wearing a light top and dark pants, with others blurred in the background.
A ballet dancer in a pink tutu and pink patterned leotard poses with another ballet dancer in black t-shirt and red shorts. Both dancers have their arms gracefully extended, looking upwards.
Two ballet dancers perform a graceful pose in a dance studio. The female dancer wears a blue leotard and tutu, while the male dancer wears a black outfit. Both are on pointe, with the male dancer supporting the female dancer's back.
A ballet dancer in a pink tutu and pink patterned leotard poses with another ballet dancer in black t-shirt and red shorts. Both dancers have their arms gracefully extended.
A ballet dancer in a pink tutu and pink patterned leotard poses with arms gracefully extended.
A row of ballet tutus hanging on a metal garment rack. The tutus are in shades of white, pink, and red, displayed in a wooden-panelled room.
A group of ballet dancers in a spacious studio practice with arms extended gracefully. One dancer in the foreground wears a patterned leotard and black skirt. The room has large windows and ballet barres along the walls.
A group of ballet dancers in a rehearsal studio practice together, wearing various dance outfits. They are performing a range of ballet poses, their arms and legs gracefully extended.
Ballet dancers practice in a studio, focusing on their posture and technique. They hold wooden faux swords in their hands, with large windows allowing natural light to fill the space.
Two people in a dance studio practice fencing with wooden faux swords. They are smiling as they engage in the mock duel, while others observe in the background. The room has large windows allowing natural light to illuminate the space.
A dancer in a dark blue jacket gracefully extends their arms in a ballet pose during a rehearsal in a studio. Other dancers, dressed in various practice outfits, are visible in the background, focusing on their own routines.
Dancers in a studio gracefully perform ballet moves, wearing various outfits such as skirts and leotards. One central dancer stands out in a blue top and black skirt, poised elegantly with an arm lifted, surrounded by others mirroring the pose.
A group of ballet dancers rehearses in a studio, with the focus on a dancer in a blue tank top and black skirt gracefully posing in the centre. Others are in various ballet poses, emphasising movement and grace.
A ballet dancer in a teal tank top performs gracefully, extending one arm upwards and the other downwards. The background is minimal, emphasising the dancer's movement and form.
A dancer in a teal tank top and black trousers strikes an expressive pose with one arm bent upward and the other on his hip, in a bright studio with a wooden barre in the background.
A ballet instructor wearing a jacket with
A ballet dancer in a studio holds an orange fan gracefully. She's wearing a light blue top and dark trousers. Another dancer is visible in the background. The focus is on their elegant pose against a neutral backdrop.
A ballet dancer in a studio holds an orange fan gracefully. She's wearing a light blue top and dark trousers. Another dancer is visible in the background. The focus is on their elegant pose against a neutral backdrop.
A ballet dancer in a dance studio performs with a colourful fan, posing gracefully. They're wearing a leotard and black shorts, with hair in a bun. The background features large windows and ballet barres.
A group of dancers practicing in a studio, each holding a colourful fan. They are spaced out across the room on a polished floor, with ballet barres and windows in the background. The dancers wear casual dance attire and focus on their technique.
Three male ballet dancers strike a pose in a dance studio with wooden barres. They are smiling and have their arms raised gracefully. The studio has white walls and a polished floor.
A male ballet dancer supports a female dancer in a white tutu as she performs an arabesque in a dance studio, with mirrors and ballet bars in the background.
A ballet dancer in a blue t-shirt and grey trousers poses with a rainbow-coloured fan.
A female ballet dancer sitting on the floor is darning ballet shoes, surrounded by bags. She appears focused while dressed in a dark top and pink trousers. Ballet shoes are seen in the foreground.
A dancer wearing a green shirt and black leggings performs a grand jeté mid-air in a bright studio with large windows. Their arms are extended gracefully, and they wear red ballet shoes.
A male ballet dancer in a green shirt and dark leggings gracefully poses with one arm extended. He stands on a ballet studio floor, with a wooden barre in the background. His expression shows focus and elegance.
A ballet dancer mid-leap in a spacious dance studio. The dancer wears a black sleeveless top and shorts, gracefully extending an arm and leg. The background shows a grey door and a ballet barre along the wall.

Synopsis

Act 1

On Christmas Eve, the Colonel and Lady Stahlbaum host a grand party for their children, Clara and Fritz. The room comes alive as friends and family gather, including the children’s godparents and their eccentric aunts. The children’s faces light up when the Christmas tree is revealed, and they receive their presents.

The mood is transformed when the mysterious Drosselmeyer arrives, accompanied by three magical entertainers. Drosselmeyer brings a very special gift for the family — a strange nutcracker in the shape of a handsome prince. When Fritz breaks the nutcracker in a playful tussle, Drosselmeyer swiftly repairs it and gives it to Clara, who becomes enchanted by this curious gift.

As the party ends, the lights dim, and the room falls into eerie darkness. Clara falls asleep, clutching her nutcracker and her parents carry her to bed. At midnight, the room fills with giant mice searching for the nutcracker. Clara awakens, snatches back the nutcracker, and watches in awe as Drosselmeyer brings the nutcracker to life in the form of a Prince. The Nutcracker Prince leads toy soldiers in a fierce battle against the evil King Rat and his army of mice. With Clara’s brave help, the Prince defeats the King Rat.

As a reward, Drosselmeyer sends Clara and the Prince on a wondrous journey to a shimmering land of snow. They meet the graceful Snow Queen and her Snowflakes, who dance with the Nutcracker Prince, while Clara is surrounded by swirling Snowflakes. The Snow Queen gives Clara a sleigh, and the journey continues as they wave goodbye.

Act 2

Clara and her Nutcracker Prince arrive in the dazzling Land of Sweets, where the enchanting Sugar Plum Fairy greets them. She orders a magnificent banquet of dances from around the world. The celebration closes with a delightful Waltz and a breathtaking grand pas de deux performed by the Nutcracker Prince and the Sugar Plum Fairy.

As the festivities end, Clara begins to drift off to sleep. The Land of Sweets magically transforms back into her familiar drawing room. Her parents find her asleep on the floor, still holding her beloved nutcracker. The Colonel gently lifts her to bed, but as Drosselmeyer suddenly reappears, we wonder: did it really happen, was it all a dream, or was it another of Drosselmeyer’s mysterious tricks?