In this interview, he discusses the intricate details, inspirations, and huge collaborative effort involved in bringing his designs these to the stage…
When Dick Bird was invited to design Nutcracker over a year ago, the team had already been discussing a preferred setting. Bird explains, “I met with Aaron [Watkin] and Arielle [Smith] and they introduced me to their early ideas, one of which was to set this show in Edwardian London”
The Edwardian setting felt especially fitting since each year English National Ballet performs this production at the London Coliseum, a theatre that was actually built and opened in that same period. Bird notes that this historical connection “narrows the gap between the streets outside and what’s going happening inside on stage,” helping to immerse the audience in the experience.
The action of Act I opens with the character of Drosselmeyer, who in our story is “a toymaker, a sweet maker and a bit of an inventor.” He runs an Emporium of Sweets & Delights and this is where we are first introduced to some of the delicacies that will appear later in Act II. The Emporium is next to a cheese shop run by the nefarious Uromys Grimsewer who watches on as a busy street scene unfolds, involving sweet sellers, suffragettes and chimney sweeps, all of whom become more important as the story continues.
From there, the action moves to the Stahlbaum family’s Christmas Eve party, which Bird describes as “a very glamorous affair with beautiful dresses, presents, a puppet show… there’s really a lot going on.” After the party ends, Clara comes back downstairs looking for the Nutcracker doll she was gifted as a present. “Of course, that’s when the magic really begins,” Bird explains, “and we find ourselves transported to a completely different world,” with the glistening winter realm and the summer Land of Sweets and Delights in Act II.
To create the production’s aesthetic, Bird found inspiration in various visual sources, a process he described as delightful. “I was looking at a lot of old photographs of London” he shares. Bird’s palette for Nutcracker draws on works by Edwardian artists like John Atkinson Grimshaw, whose paintings of wet cobbled streets and glowing lights gave Bird the atmospheric cues he needed.
Moving to the Edwardian interiors, he looked for something that would be vibrant and sparkling, but also appropriate to the period. As the story goes on and we enter a wintry ice realm, he was inspired by icicles hanging off branches. But also by giving the audience a sense that some sort of magic was at play.
Bird describes working with the production’s choreographers Watkin and Smith as an extremely collaborative process: “from the very beginning we found a really enjoyable, positive environment in which we were excited by each other’s ideas.” The work of a designer demands that many of the set and costume details are finalised much earlier than the choreography. Ironing out all the elements of the story and the ideas and themes we wanted to convey required a lot of work between the three creatives. While they each bring their own thinking and approach, Bird feels they were ultimately able to create “a unique telling of the Nutcracker story”.
Behind Bird’s designs is a team of highly specialised artisans, bringing his vision to life through meticulous craftsmanship. “Putting together the costumes and sets for Nutcracker relies on the extraordinary skills of literally hundreds of makers,” Bird says. He comments on lucky we are in the UK, to have “an industry that supports all of this work.” This includes set builders, scenic artists, prop makers, costume makers, hat makers, wig makes… the list goes on!
Bird describes his Nutcracker journey as one of learning: for example about tutu construction, or different methods of 3D printing and laser cutting. He highlights the ingenuity of the builders and makers who construct intricate, bespoke pieces that come together to realise his designs – like a transparent six-foot seahorse that can “pull a carriage and look like it’s made of ice.” Bird’s excitement is evident as he emphasises how fortunate he is to work with such “incredibly brilliant and creative people.”
Bird’s work on the Nutcracker itself is especially close to his heart. “For me, the thing that is most special is actually the Nutcracker itself.” The production features several 50-centimetres Nutcracker dolls, as well as the dancer who performs in the Nutcracker costume, wearing “a fabulous headpiece”. This version of the Nutcracker doll includes a functioning handle, allowing it to crack nuts with its mouth, a feature Bird had not seen before. One last Nutcracker will also be painted on the front gauze for the show.
When Nutcracker was first performed as a ballet in 1892, it lost a lot of the original story from E.T.A. Hoffmann’s 1816 book. Bird explains how in various versions of the ballet, this often results in two quite disjointed Acts. The first Act is very narrative – it’s “a Christmas Eve story with a transformation and a battle, ending up with Clara meeting a prince”. However, the second act is more of a celebration with a series of dances. Bird explains how the team have set out to bridge the narrative between the two acts “ so you get a sense of continuity as to what’s going on”.
Bird sees the final result as more than a dance performance—it’s an immersive journey. He hopes that audiences will feel engaged and emotionally invested, an experience where the “collaboration between the performers on stage, the creative people backstage and the audience is so much more active.” In the theatre, the audience is actively taking part in making the story and believing in the transformation, the magic and the emotional experience of the characters.
Bird’s designs promise not only to captivate but to transport audiences into a world where the familiar meets the fantastical, in an unforgettable treat for all the family.
Our brand-new production premieres at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton, from 28 – 30 Nov, and at the London Coliseum from 12 Dec – 12 Jan 2025. Book your Nutcracker tickets here.