Much to the delight of the Inverness audience, it was a dancer they regard as one of their own who stepped into the spotlight and dazzled as the Nutcracker Prince at the opening performance of Scottish Ballet’s The Nutcracker, which can be seen at Eden Court until tomorrow.
Barnaby Rook Bishop was born in Inverness and lived on the Black Isle with his parents, Caroline and John, at Easter Suddie near Munlochy, before his father’s work took them south to Norfolk.
A keen dancer from the age of six, he trained at the Royal Ballet School before joining Scottish Ballet as an artist two years ago. That same year, he made his Highland debut with the company when it presented two pieces, Emergence and Sibilo, at Eden Court.
A rising star of the ballet world, he was superb as the handsome Nutcracker Prince. His dance with the dainty Sugar Plum Fairy (Sophie Martin), performed to Tchaikovsky’s wonderful, instantly recognisable score played live by the full Scottish Ballet Orchestra, was spellbinding.
But before that particular highlight, there was a veritable feast of delights.
This revival of Peter Darrel’s Nutcracker instantly transports the audience back to Victorian times. It’s snowing and cold but inside house number 261, the Colonel (Evan Loudon) and his wife (Araminta Wraith) and their children, Clara (Daisy Cleland from Montrose) and Fritz (Scott Milne from Aberdeen) are throwing the sort of lavish Christmas party you’d want to attend.
There are salvers piled high with fresh fruit and treats, drinks aplenty offered by liveried servants, an enormous, glittering Christmas tree and presents for the children.
The arrival of a mysterious magician, Drosselmeyer, slightly changes the atmosphere. Full marks to Matthew Broadbent as Drosselmeyer, as he not only brought an edge to the role, but performed half a dozen magic tricks as well.
Drosselmeyer’s gift for Clara is a wooden nutcracker doll which, thanks to the expression on her face, we know she instantly loved.
For this performance, Clara was performed by 12-year-old Daisy Cleland, a pupil of Aberdeen’s Danscentre. She was one of 35 children from around Scotland who auditioned to star in the ballet. It’s a difficult role as Clara has to be able to dance, act, and is on stage for much of the ballet, but Daisy delivered a first-class performance.
After the party, Clara creeps downstairs to get her Nutcracker doll and falls asleep under the Christmas tree. At the stroke of midnight, the doll comes to life in the form of a handsome prince.
After a battle where she, the prince and toy soldiers defeat the evil King Rat (Jamiel Laurence), they are transported to the magical land of ice and snow where she meets the beautiful Snow Queen and Snowflake fairies, and where exotic dancers from far-away lands entertain her.
There’s a trio of Russian dancers with bright red smiles and dazzling red and gold costumes; pink flower fairies; Chinese dancers, Cavaliers, Spanish flamenco dancers, a hornpipe dancing sailor, graceful French dancers and a submlime Arabian dancer (Claire Souet).
Clara’s adventure concludes with the delightful Waltz of the Flowers, and the spectacular pas de deux danced by the prince and the Sugar Plum Fairy before they return home.
Radiating warmth, joy and happiness from start to finish, this really is the quintessential ballet, one that is truly magical and everyone should see at least once in their life.