The Nutcracker

It is Christmas Eve and there is excitement throughout the house. Dr and Mrs Stahlbaum and their children, the adolescent Clara and her younger, mischievous brother Fritz, prepare for their annual Christmas party. In the town, busy in his clockmaker’s workshop is Clara’s Godfather, Drosselmeyer. Alongside his assistant, he readies gifts for the Stahlbaum family and prepares magical entertainments for the guests that evening.

The party has begun; a grand affair with guests, old and young. All are excited to welcome Drosselmeyer and his assistant and whilst they make ready the entertainment, the Christmas tree is lit. Under the strict eye of the fierce dancing mistress, the children dance for their parents. It is time for Drosselmeyer’s entertainment, and the guests marvel at magic tricks, dancing automata, and a soldier doll who chases a puppet mouse. Drosselmeyer then gives the Stahlbaums their gifts and to his god-daughter Clara, a Nutcracker doll.

The housekeeper enters with her staff – they have prepared a Christmas banquet of every sweet and dessert one could wish for - the guests are delighted! The girls dance with their dolls. When a jealous Fritz accidentally breaks the Nutcracker, Clara is charmed by the assistant’s kindness. It is late and the guests leave. The assistant says he will return to fix Clara’s Nutcracker. The doll is carefully placed in Clara’s Dollhouse, and all go to bed.

The house sleeps. Clara creeps downstairs to check on her Nutcracker but is terrorised by giant mice. Drosselmeyer appears and scares them away. As Midnight strikes the room begins to magically change. Now a giant Christmas tree towers over a life-size fort and dollhouse, where a battle ensues between the Queen rat and her mice troops, and toy soldiers led by the courageous Nutcracker. The Nutcracker is injured by the Queen, but Clara bravely saves the day. The mice now defeated, Drosselmeyer transforms the stricken Nutcracker into a Prince, and alongside Clara they dance to a land of snowflakes. The snow dances and whirls around them until a sled appears to take them onwards on their journey.

Leaving the land of Snowflakes, Drosselmeyer leads them on a journey across a sea of chocolate to the Kingdom of Sweets. Welcomed by the Kingdom’s Head Confectioner, Clara is crowned as The Sugar Plum Fairy and the Nutcracker as her Prince. All the Kingdom of Sweets now celebrate; dancing Jellies to jumping popcorn, drifting candy floss to performing sugar canes, waltzing fondant flowers to dancing chocolatiers. Clara as Sugar Plum Princess, dances with her Prince and the Kingdom celebrates. Clara must return home. She and Drosselmeyer are waved off by the court, and soon she is fast asleep.

Early morning and the bells of Christmas Day sound over the city. In the Stahlbaum house, Drosselmeyer lays a dreaming Clara at the foot of the Christmas tree and disappears into the shadows. Drosselmeyer’s assistant appears with his toolbox. He begins to fix the Nutcracker doll but is disturbed by the Housekeeper and the sleepy Stahlbaum family. Clara wakes from her dream to find her Nutcracker mended. She gives the assistant a warm hug of thanks and Dr Stahlbaum wishes them all a very happy Christmas. All is well. From the shadow of the Christmas tree an unseen Drosselmeyer watches on, knowing that it will be the happiest of Christmases.