Stories for Supporters – The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker - A New Zealand Journey
With rehearsals beginning this week for our brand-new production of The Nutcracker, we delved into the archives to look back at past productions and the role this beloved ballet has played in RNZB’s history. From Russell Kerr’s traditional 1963 staging through bold reinterpretations in the 2000s, each version has reflected its own era while enchanting audiences anew. This October, Ty King-Wall and Tracy Grant Lord continue the story with a fresh, distinctly New Zealand Nutcracker.
The 1960s & 70s
The Royal New Zealand Ballet first staged The Nutcracker, or Le Casse-Noisette, as it was often called until the mid-20th century, in 1963. Directed by Russell Kerr, with designs by Raymond Boyce, it was a production rooted in tradition. Tutus, tiaras and sparkle filled the stage, even though the fledgling company was working to a shoestring budget. Kerr wanted New Zealand audiences to experience the ballet at its best, so he secured additional sponsorship to ensure the magic of a live orchestra.
The snowflakes and sugarplums might have been familiar, but the settings were often uniquely Kiwi. Many performances took place in the height of summer, including outdoor stagings of Act II at the Festival of the Pines at New Plymouth’s Bowl of Brooklands.
Right: RNZB dancers in The Nutcracker Act III 1963, photo credit: John Ashton
"I recall Russell Kerr’s first Nutcracker – a bright and technically precise composition. It was pure hard work and excitement for us dancers. I was lucky to alternate the role of the Nutcracker Prince and the Spanish Dance with Terry James. The first entrance of the Prince was, for me, a moment of sparkling enchantment."
Sir Jon Trimmer
The 1980s & 90s
Throughout the 1960s, The Nutcracker became a regular feature, though in the 1970s it was mostly seen in excerpts, performed for schools or as part of mixed programmes. A new full production didn’t appear until 1980, when Patricia Rianne created her version with designs by Robert Ryan. Though the company had initially hoped to stage Peter Darrell’s celebrated Scottish Ballet production, budget constraints meant it was not possible. Rianne’s ballet, however, proved a triumph, enjoying multiple revivals and remaining in the repertoire until 1994.
That same year, under the directorship of Ashley Killar, a fresh interpretation arrived with designs by Peter Cazalet. Revived again in 1997, it marked the last Nutcracker for nearly a decade. Instead, family-friendly works such as Russell Kerr’s Peter Pan and A Christmas Carol filled the festive season.
Left: Sir Jon Trimmer as Drosselmeyer with Allan Barry as Harlequin & Sheree Meletti as Columbine in The Nutcracker 1980, photo credit: unknown , small image: RNZB dancer Linda Anning as Snow Queen, photo credit: unknown
The 2000s
In 2005, Artistic Director Gary Harris, together with choreographer Adrian Burnett and designer Kristian Fredrikson, led the RNZB in a bold new direction. Their version joined a global wave of re-imagined classics, where story and score remained but tradition was upended. This Nutcracker was set not in a drawing room on Christmas Eve, but in a children’s hospital. There was no Sugar Plum Fairy, but there was heart, love and wonder. Revived in 2010, it enchanted a new generation of New Zealanders.
Right: RNZB dancers in party scene of The Nutcracker 2005, photo credit: Maarten Holl
The 2010s
More recently, in 2018, American choreographer Val Caniparoli offered a return to tradition. His Nutcracker, inspired by E.T.A. Hoffman’s The Story of the Nutcracker and the Mouse King, followed the classic structure while adding a few twists of its own, including a hint of pōhutukawa in the Waltz of the Flowers.
Left: Artists of the RNZB as Pōhutukawa Flowers in Act II of The Nutcracker 2018, photo credit: Stephen A’Court
The 2020s and beyond
From glittering fairy tales to bold reinventions, The Nutcracker has been part of the RNZB’s story for more than 60 years. Each production has reflected its time, offering audiences, young and old, the chance to fall under Tchaikovsky’s spell all over again. This October, that tradition continues with a brand-new production created by Artistic Director Ty King-Wall and acclaimed designer Tracy Grant Lord. Premiering in Wellington before touring nationwide, this fresh Nutcracker will bring a flavour of Aotearoa to a timeless classic, inviting today’s audiences to make new memories with a story beloved across generations.
Right: Katherine Minor as Clara in The Nutcracker 2025, photo credit: Ross Brown
The Nutcracker posters over the decades
