The Royal New Ballet opts for another bold take on the classics with its November production of ‘The Nutcracker’, transporting the Christmas story from northern hemisphere winter to a Kiwi summer at the bach, complete with pōhutukawa trees, hokey pokey ice cream and pavlova.

New Artistic Director Ty King-Wall is unapologetic about the switch. The first New Zealander to hold the position in 52 years wanted the company to have its own Nutcracker, “a work recognisably of the place we call home”.

His version of ‘The Nutcracker’ begins on Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaum family bach, where family and friends gather for a summer celebration. Clara’s godmother, Auntie Drosselmeyer – reimagined here as a retired ballerina – arrives with a handcrafted Nutcracker doll, a gift that sparks a magical adventure.

From this familiar scene, the production journeys into dreamscapes inspired by New Zealand’s natural beauty – from the icy majesty of Central Otago’s hoar frosts to a Land of the Sweets bursting with local treats.

In Act II, we have a Kiwi take on the divertissements with a celebratory showcase of iconic local sweets: chocolate fish, hokey pokey ice cream, lolly slice and pavlova. In a nod to our conservation story, the battle scene swaps the mouse army for the Rat King’s army of weasels, stoats and possums.

This is RNZB’s biggest and most ambitious production of the year and Ty King-Wall's first choreographic assignment since taking up his role in November 2023. There are over 40 glittering tutus and costumes, along with new stage designs from set and costume designer Tracy Grant Lord, lighting designer Jon Buswell and the visual effects team at POW Studios.

Royal New Zealand Ballet with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Isaac Theatre Royal, 12-16 November 2025

rnzb.org.nz