Birmingham Royal Ballet's Nutcracker to be streamed over world in theatre first
Following news of Birmingham’s Tier 3 status and ongoing uncertainty, Birmingham Royal Ballet has taken the decision to move their 2020 adapted version of The Nutcracker online.
The Christmas production will be streamed live from The Birmingham Repertory Theatre on December 18 at 7.30pm, giving audiences an experience as close to watching it live in the theatre as is possible.
It will then be available to view as a video-on-demand recording from December 19 to 24. Video-on-demand sales close at midnight on December 21 but can be viewed until midnight on Christmas Eve.
Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet Carlos Acosta said: "I guess you could say we’re trying to look on the bright side at the moment! By live streaming this new adapted version of our famous and much-loved production we can proceed with confidence and focus on making the event as special as possible for our wonderful audiences and now, wherever you are in the world, you can be part of it.
"I can’t deny it’s disappointing not to see everyone’s happy faces in the theatre, but we will plan to end the year on a Christmas high, finding ways of celebrating is important right now."
Special
Sean Foley, Artistic Director at The REP said: "We hope this newly announced Live Stream performance of The Nutcracker at The REP will bring a flurry of theatrical magic and seasonal warmth into families’ homes this Christmas. Teams at The REP and Birmingham Royal Ballet have been working tirelessly since new safety measures were announced to make this very special, one-off adaptation of the classic festive tale. We are tremendously excited to share it with thousands of people across the world at the same time - the first time ever a performance has been streamed 'Live from The Birmingham REP."
The full-length Nutcracker will be shortened to 80 minutes.
Ticket-holders for this pay per view production will also be able to enjoy some extra treats the company has tied together with a seasonal red bow to make the experience as special as possible.
People who have bought tickets for the original live performances The REP will be contacted by the box office.
Two performances featuring two different casts will be captured at The REP. The second film will feature three third year students from The Royal Ballet School performing Trepak, the Russian dance, and students from Elmhurst Ballet School dancing Snowflakes will be available for audiences to watch online in early 2021.
