The Royal New Zealand Ballet will bring the world premiere of its brand-new production of The Nutcracker to Christchurch this November, in what is being described as the company’s biggest and most ambitious production of the year.

Artistic Director Ty King-Wall has reimagined the Christmas classic with a uniquely Kiwi twist, setting the story against the golden glow of a 1950s summer. From barefoot cricket to melting ice creams beneath a blooming pōhutukawa, the production blends Tchaikovsky’s music with New Zealand’s landscapes and traditions.

The Nutcracker will run at Christchurch’s Isaac Theatre Royal from 12 to 16 November as part of a nationwide tour. More than 10,000 tickets have already been sold across the country.

King-Wall said he wanted a Nutcracker that audiences could recognise as their own. “Being a story borne from the northern hemisphere it is far removed from our own experiences around Christmas, the festive season and summer holidays. We have our own customs and history in this part of the world at that time of year, so first and foremost I sought to draw inspiration from that.”

With over 40 handcrafted costumes, new stage designs by Tracy Grant Lord, lighting from Jon Buswell and visual effects by POW Studios, the production is being described as magical and ambitious.

The story begins on Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaum family bach, before sweeping audiences into dreamscapes inspired by New Zealand’s natural beauty, from Central Otago’s frosts to a Land of the Sweets packed with pavlova, hokey pokey and chocolate fish. Even the battle scene has a local flavour, with the Nutcracker Prince facing off against an army of stoats, possums and weasels.

King-Wall said, “Our landscapes define us. They are a source of beauty, inspiration and shared memory, and their emotive power has influenced this production immensely.”

The Nutcracker marks the RNZB’s first production of the ballet in seven years and will be performed live in Christchurch with music by the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.

Nationwide tour dates

• Wellington – St James Theatre, 30 October–8 November

• Christchurch – Isaac Theatre Royal, 12–16 November

• Dunedin – Regent Theatre, 21–22 November

• Napier – Municipal Theatre, 28–29 November

• Auckland – Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre, 4–13 December

• Palmerston North – Regent on Broadway, 19–20 December

Tickets

Tickets are on sale now via the RNZB website and local theatre box offices.