Royal Ballet/ The Nutcracker (CTBA)

Choreographed by Peter Wright after Lev Ivanov, Music by Pyotr Il’Yich Tchaikovsky/140 mins Mayara Magri, Reece Clarke, James Hay 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 the doll. 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. Peter Wright’s production of this festive family favourite sparkles to the wondrous swell of Tchaikovsky’s orchestral score, alongside the glow and grandeur of Julia Trevelyan Oman’s period designs.