Approximate timings
Approximate total running time:
2 hours 20 minutes
Conductor
Cast for this performance
The Sugar Plum Fairy
The Prince
Herr Drosselmeyer
Clara
Hans-Peter/The Nutcracker
Drosselmeyer’s assistant
Guidance
Suitable for ages 5+
There are flashing lights and dry ice used in this production. Children under the age of five are not permitted into our theatres. Children over the age of five must have their own ticket and sit next to an accompanying adult.
Generous support from
Exceptional philanthropic support from
Royal Ballet and Opera Principal The Julia Rausing Trust
The 2026/27 Royal Ballet Season is generously supported by
Aud Jebsen
Generous philanthropic support from
Kenneth and Susan Green, Huo Family Foundation and Sir Lloyd and Lady Dorfman OBE
Production generously sponsored by
Schools' Matinees are generously supported by
The Taylor Family Foundation, The Gerald and Gail Ronson Family Foundation and David and Molly Lowell Borthwick
Synopsis
The story of The Nutcracker
At a cosy Christmas party, young Clara meets the mysterious magician Drosselmeyer, who gives her a nutcracker doll. When the guests have departed and the house is asleep, Clara sneaks downstairs in search of her favourite gift. Instead, she finds Drosselmeyer, who whisks her away on a journey into a whole world of enchantment: fantastical landscapes of flurried snow and glittering confection where toys come alive and the magic never stops.
Read full synopsis
Creatives
The artists and creatives behind the production
Choreography
Original choreography
Scenario
Original Scenario
Production and scenario
Designer
Lighting designer
Production Consultant
Discover
Peter Wright’s classic production of this festive family favourite sparkles to the swell of Tchaikovsky’s orchestral score, alongside the glow and grandeur of Julia Trevelyan Oman’s period designs. This Season marks Peter Wright’s centenary.
A festive firecracker
The production
Peter Wright’s production of The Nutcracker has been enchanting children and adults alike since its first performance by The Royal Ballet in 1984. Julia Trevelyan Oman’s designs bring the story wonderfully to life, from the 19th century German home of the Stalbaums – which features a Christmas tree that transforms beyond one’s imagination – to the Kingdom of Sweets, where everything is sugar and sparkle.
A host of musical delights
The music
The Nutcracker includes some of Tchaikovsky’s – and indeed, the classical ballet canon’s – most instantly recognizable tunes. Some familiar highlights include the Waltz of the Flowers, the Dance of the Mirlitons and the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, with its signature sound of the twinkling celesta. Many of these melodies have been used in a range of media in popular culture, from festive commercials to Disney’s Fantasia.
To find out more about The Nutcracker, including key plot points and background information: read our Ballet Essentials: The Nutcracker
Dance highlight: The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
Gallery
Reviews
Accessibility and resources
Read a visual guide for The Nutcracker (PDF, 20MB).
There is lift access and there are step-free routes to over 100 seats in the Stalls Circle, Balcony and Amphitheatre. Some seats in the Stalls Circle, Balcony, Amphitheatre and the Donald Gordon Grand Tier are accessed by 9 steps or fewer. There are 10 steps or more to access seats in the Orchestra Stalls.
You can use the assistive listening systems in our auditoriums. Surtitles, captions and translations in English are displayed on screens above the stage and around the auditorium.
Join our Access Scheme for priority access to tickets and to inform us of your access requirements.
See our Accessibility page for more information or view a visitors guide (PDF, 12.0 MB).
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