Nutcracker opens at London’s hottest new venue the Tuff Nutt Jazz Club at the Southbank Centre on 28th October.
Drew McOnie, Artistic Director of The McOnie Company, said: “Creating a Jazz adaptation of the Nutcracker for my own company is exactly the sort of wild impossible thing I would daydream about constantly as a young boy. I spent hours devising colourful worlds in my head where great theatre dancers and great musicians would tell stories that made me feel like I belonged somewhere. It’s my desire to fill this Nutcracker with heaps of that childlike wonder but with the added free-spirited mischief we all crave at Christmas time. To be creating this production with such an exceptional group of artists is truly thrilling and I cannot wait to introduce this Nutcracker to you… an old friend you are about to meet for the first time”.
Charlie Wood, Co-Director of Underbelly, said: “We’re so excited to be working with The McOnie Company on this radical reinterpretation of a classic title, and we couldn’t be producing it anywhere better than at the Southbank Centre, whose support for the idea and the concept has been crucial to it happening. We hope that the Tuff Nutt Jazz Club along with Drew’s and Cassie’s reimagining of Nutcracker with its wonderful Jazz score will make an exciting new destination for London winter nights out”.
Mark Ball, Artistic Director of Southbank Centre, said: “I am thrilled that we’re creating a brand new venue at the Southbank Centre – the Tuff Nutt Jazz Club – where audiences will experience a magical reimagining of Nutcracker from a brilliantly talented creative team. This is a Nutcracker that transports us to a world of self-discovery and adventure via a vision that brings together a jazz-infused take on Tchaikovsky‘s classic score by Cassie Kinoshi with adventurous choreography and storytelling from Drew McOnie. It signals our own commitment to investing in collaboratively created new performance work that gives audiences unique experiences of theatre and dance. We can’t wait to open the doors and welcome everyone into the world of the Tuff Nutt Jazz Club.”
This wild-spirited adventure follows young Clive on his quest for self-acceptance. Packed with hope, heart and humour, this Nutcracker is for anyone who wants to live life in full technicolour. It’s playful, mischievous and a lot of fun.
Diving into the glittering winter wonderland head-on, dancers of The McOnie Company perform to Tchaikovsky’s world-famous score, reimagined for an onstage Jazz band.
The Tuff Nutt Jazz Club is putting audiences at the centre of one of the coolest jazz clubs in town. Following performances of Nutcracker on Thursday to Sunday, audiences are invited to continue their evening at the Tuff Nutt Jazz Club which will host live sessions from leading music artists into the night. Further details to be announced.
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX from 28 October 2023 – 6 January 2024. Times: Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday at 7:30pm; Friday at 5:30pm and 8:30pm
Saturday at 4pm and 8:30pm; Sunday at 2pm and 5pm.
Admission: Early Shows & Previews (Tues – Sun) – £65, £45, £35, £20
Late Shows (Thurs – Sat) – £75, £60, £47.50, £20
Booking: www.southbankcentre.co.uk – 020 3879 9555
