Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker In Havana At Waterside Theatre Aylesbury Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Mel Randle
Last night (Halloween) we ditched the trick or treating in favour of a Christmas tradition (albeit a little early) as we went off to Waterside Theatre Aylesbury to watch Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker in Havana. Myself and my daughter (9) are big fans of Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet and have seen several different interpretations of it, so we were excited to see how Carlos Acosta and his Cuban Acosta Danza company presented this masterpiece!
Taking to our seats, we were immediately transported to the Caribbean’s largest island with a ‘postcard from Havana’ projected onto the curtain. The show opened with a 1950’s Chevrolet moving across the stage and the backdrop was wonderful sunny scenes of Cuba’s countryside. The scene was set and it was easy to forget that this is a Christmas story so I would imagine can be enjoyed all year round.
Acosta has, thankfully, stuck with the traditional story as a basis to his show, and of course followed Tchaikovsky’s infamous score, but like all great Caribbean recipes, he has added spice and colour to present us with a new vibrant version of a well-loved classic. All the old favourites are in there with a twist – the family Christmas when Clara receives the nutcracker from Uncle Drosselmeyer is portrayed as a multi-generational family gathering traditional in Cuban communities, the Nutcracker and his army (before turning into a prince) are given the look of a Mambises – Cuban soldiers with a large moustaches who fought for Cuba’s independence, and the Kingdom of Sweets transports us to a Cuban jazz bar.
Throughout he gives nods to Cuban culture with additions of traditional Cuban dances and costume including clogs known as chancletas and a maypole! So despite knowing the story and the music before I went, I feel like I had a completely new experience and came away having learnt something about a country I have never visited.
The whole presentation is striking, marrying modern video projection with snow confetti falling to the stage. Lighting transports us from the warm Caribbean sun to a frozen land for Waltz of the Snowflakes and ‘magic’ costume changes take us from the Cuban community to the more traditional grand party.
Scene changes were seamless, so much so, as I am writing this I realise I didn’t even notice them! And I can’t not mention the music! My favourite score with a bit of salsa added made it hard to sit still at some points. I don’t think they did Tchaikovsky a disservice at all. The Cuban kick fitted perfectly with the bold colours on stage!
But of course, the forefront of any ballet however it is presented is the dancing, and wow, what a talented bunch this company has. The programme suggests that they don’t have specific roles, so I think they possibly swap which means I can’t name particular people, but then I don’t think I have to. They all danced and entertained with wonderful smiles on their faces. So with the combination of talented dancers and skilled set and costume designers, with some laughs along the way, this production was an absolute delight from start to finish!
Rating: 5/5
Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker in Havana in currently on a National Tour and is at Aylesbury until Saturday 1st November 2025. Tickets from £24 + £3.95 transaction fee
For more information and to book, visit www.atgtickets.com