REVIEW: The Nutcracker, Sheffield Lyceum

Tchaikovsky's wonderful score - exceptionally well played here - for the ever-popular tale based on Alexander Dumas' adaptation of Hoffman's story, is mostly set in a wealthy family's large ballroom on Christmas Eve.

Clara and her Nutcracker Price are given full reign to warm hearts in a spectacular show on a bitterly cold Sheffield evening.

The International Classic Ballet Theatre's staging - led by renowned artistic director Marina Medvetskaya - is an accomplished, traditional, often funny, retelling which showcases the dancing but without the real sparkle of emotion that would elevate it to a great production.

So Arisa Hashimoto is a delightful Clara ending up in the arms of her prince, charmingly played by Assylbek Ismail, while also exquisitely executing the Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy.

But Hashimoto, Ismail and Yelaman Tiyshtykbay, in the double roles of sinister magician Drosselmeier and the Mouse King, just fail to ignite the passions clearly on display from an appreciative audience. It's just a bit too formulaic and maybe victim of arduous touring.

That said, the second half series of set-piece sequences in the Kingdom Of The Sweets is a joy to behold, even if the national stereotypes of their time are so dated today.

Zhanna Tevosyan in the sensuous Eastern Dance is particularly outstanding, with Lara Kunze Briseno and Yelaman Tiyshykbay, as Spanish dancers, Ryoka Yamamoto and Gai Suchiro as the Chinese dancers and Alexis Cooper and Jake Walker as the Russian dancers, all rose to the occasion splendidly.

The Ballerina Doll, played by Cooper, Arabian Doll by Suchiro, plus Minami Watanabe as Fritz, Clara's annoying younger brother, also deserve special mentions.

Great music and superb dancing combine for a real January treat.