The Nutcracker and I

Pianist and producer: Alexandra Dariescu
Directed by: Nick Hillel
Art director and director of animation: Adam Smith
Choreographer: Jenna Lee
Ballerina: Imogen-Lily Ash
Video design produced by: Yeast Culture
 

Experience the classic Christmas story in a different way: a multimedia performance that brings together a world-class pianist, a ballerina and state-of-the-art digital animations projected onto a see-through gauze screen to recreate the magical world of the Mouse King.

The astonishing digital animations, hand-drawn especially for the show and merging beautifully with the delightful piano solo, take us on a fantastical journey into a world populated by ballet, music, theatre and film. The audience becomes part of the story unfolding before their eyes, giving a new spin to the eternal and much-loved fairy tale. The Nutcracker like it’s never been told before.  

Since its premiere in 2017, the show has enchanted audiences of all ages, reaching more than 70,000 people worldwide, in venues that include Wiener Konzerthaus, the Verbier Festival, the Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, the Melbourne Recital Hall, the Shanghai Grand Theatre and the Dubai Opera House. It has also received glowing reviews from the critics.

The show's creator, pianist Alexandra Dariescu, is a sought-after artist and regular soloist with prestigious orchestras, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre National de France, the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Her discography includes eight albums, most recently with soprano Angela Gheorghiu on Decca.