On Christmas night … the magic begins   -   Clara, a young ballet student, is celebrating with her family at a Christmas Eve party. The magician, Drosselmeyer, gives her a nutcracker doll – and when the clock strikes twelve, dreams and magic are unleashed, the doll becomes a prince and Clara is whisked away to fantastical lands.

Peter Wright's production of The Nutcracker is considered the world's most beautiful, and coupled with Tchaikovsky's beloved score, it truly is a magical experience for the whole family. All the delights of a traditional Nutcracker – the Christmas tree that grows to towering heights, the flying goose, the Sugar Plum Fairy, the dancing rats, the sweets – are gloriously present, with some extra treats like a Rose Fairy and Jack-in-the-Box thrown in. John Macfarlane's ravishing design moves from a richly crimson Edwardian home to the sparkling Land of Snow to the vivid Land of Sweets in a series of breathtaking transformations that will have you oohing-and-ahhing along with the kids, and reliving the magic all the way home.

"It really is the perfect ballet"   - Sunday Herald Sun

"The role of Clara might have been created for Benedicte Bemet, who offers a winsome interpretation of our young heroine"   - The Age

"The female corps was in fantastically disciplined form, and the male ensemble work was strong and well-synchronised"   - The Australian