The Birmingham Royal Ballet has vowed to bring the annual Christmas ballet spectacular – ‘The Nutcracker’ – by looking at other ways to bring the show to audiences during the Tier 3 lockdown in Birmingham.

The REP theatre and Birmingham Royal Ballet are looking at other alternatives to bringing the exciting family show to the West Midlands by employing streaming services and rescheduling performances.

The world famous Christmas ballet show – Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Nutcracker’ – had originally been planned to take place this December at The REP (14 Dec – 22 Dec) but the government’s Tier 3 lockdown in Birmingham has left organisers looking at other ways to keep the show afloat rather than cancelling it.

The traditional Christmas ballet show has already had it’s London dates at The Royal Albert Hall cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.

However, despite the London cancellation, the show organisers are working hard to keep the production alive for West Midlands audiences by working out other methods of showcasing the ballet performance during the Tier 3 lockdown which prohibits indoor entertainment venues such as theatres from opening to the public.

Pedro J Pacheco
Carlos Acosta, artistic director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, has promised to bring ‘The Nutcracker’ to the Midlands during Tier 3 lockdown

A spokesperson for Birmingham Royal Ballet said: “In line with new government restrictions and Birmingham becoming a Tier 3 locality, we are investigating how this will affect performances of ‘The Nutcracker’ at The REP.

“Teams at both Birmingham Royal Ballet and The REP are working tirelessly behind the scenes to find a way in which we can bring this magical performance to audiences.”

The organisers are looking at the option of streamed performances and rescheduled shows.

The artistic teams behind this year’s show had already taken into consideration the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and had tailored a new show using Sir Peter Wright’s award-winning choreography, which was adapted by David Bintley, as the framework.

Carlos Acosta, the legendary ballet dancer who hails from Cuba, is the current director of Birmingham Royal Ballet and he wanted to ensure ballet continued this Christmas despite the pandemic.

Rangzeb Hussain
Carlos Acosta (third from right) hopes to bring some “Christmas cheer” to Birmingham during the COVID-19 pandemic

For Christmas 2020, Acosta and The REP’s Sean Foley have created a special version of ‘The Nutcracker’ ballet. This new, 80-minute magical experience will conjure up the most dazzling moments and characters from the critically-acclaimed full-length show.

Last month, before the Tier 3 lockdown in Birmingham had been announced, Acosta was very determined to boost public morale during the pandemic with a special version of the ballet “so that audiences in Birmingham and the West Midlands can have something to look forward to this Christmas”.

“The Nutcracker is an essential part of our annual season and we can’t wait to welcome audiences back to The REP in December for this celebration,” he said.

The organisers have requested tickets holders, and those interested in the show, to check the official website for the latest announcement regarding changes to the performances.

 

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