Wayne Eagling, Toer Van Schayk – Pyotr Tchaikovsky
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
The Christmas ballet that never loses its magic
The enchanting family favourite is back in the repertoire! The Nutcracker and the Mouse King is a cherished Christmas tradition for many families and friends. Tchaikovsky’s wonderful music, the magical sets, breathtaking dance, and the spectacular costumes whisk the audience miles away from the everyday worries.
The story begins when Klaara, who lives in the wintery Finnish town of Porvoo, is taken on a fairy-tale journey on Christmas night. She meets the army of mice, visitors from faraway lands, and a prince turned into a nutcracker by a spell. The exciting plot twists of this ballet will charm even the very youngest viewers. The traditional choreography will also capture the heart of every grown-up classical ballet enthusiast.
“I have seen the Nutcracker and the Mouse King countless times over nearly three decades, and every time it’s just as wonderful and affecting. The music, sets and dancers are all amazing.”
– audience feedback
Tickets and performances
Watch trailer
Synopsis
Klaara, her younger brother Pekka and her older sister Liisa are getting ready for the Christmas feast. Families with their children arrive at the house where they live. The last people to arrive are old Mr. Drosselmeier and his young nephew. Drosselmeier holds the children in thrall with his conjuring tricks.
Read longer synopsis
The room is full of friends and cousins of Klaara. Father Christmas comes in with the Christmas goat. At first the children are frightened but are delighted when they are given all kinds of presents. Drosselmeier and his nephew bring in a magic lantern. Using lantern sides Drosselmeier tells the story of the young Princess who rejects the Mouse King’s offer of a marriage because she has promised her heart to a handsome Prince. The Mouse King fights a duel with the Prince and the Prince is transformed into a wooden doll, a Nutcracker.
Klaara feels sorry for the Nutcracker doll and is immediately enchanted by him, but her heart is also won over by Drosselmeier’s nephew and, in her imagination, she identifies him with the bewitched Prince.
It is time for the children to go to bed. Klaara returns to the drawing room where she encounters the nephew who has forgotten his hat. He is unaware that he had captured the young girl’s heart.
Klaara is put to bed and she dreams that the Mouse King appears in her room. Klaara jumps out of her bed and runs through the dark house in the drawing room to save the Nutcracker.
There ensues a duel between the Nutcracker and the Mouse King. However, the Mouse King is too strong and Klaara and the Nutcracker are taken prisoners.
The nightmare turns into a beautiful dream in which everything’s fine. Drosselmeier turns the Nutcracker into a handsome prince with the same features as Drosselmeier’s nephew. The Snow pushes the mice to the background. Drosselmeier leads Klaara and the Nutcracker into the magic lantern.
Drosselmeier, Klaara and the Nutcracker arrive deep inside the magic lantern – this is Drosselmeier’s kingdom. Suddenly, however, the Mouse King and his rats fight their way into the magic lantern. Drosselmeier frightens them. Another duel takes place and the Nutcracker succeeds at last in killing the Mouse King. The mice all disappear and the spell is broken: the Nutcracker finally turns into the Prince for good.
The magic lantern brings Klaara and the Prince into strange countries. Klaara wakes up and Pekka comes in. Miraculously, they have had the same dream. They realize for the first time how much they care for each other.
The full synopsis and other background information will be available in the programme booklet.
Gallery
Creative team
- Choreography
- Wayne Eagling, Toer van Schayk
- Music
- Pjotr Tšaikovski
- Set and Costume Design
- Toer van Schayk
- Lighting Design
- Steen Bjarke
- Conductor
- Aku Sorensen
Cast
Cast will be published later.
Listen to The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
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Stage24: More about the work
The keys to an entertaining evening
The performance takes place on our Main Stage, which has no fewer than 1,300 seats in its auditorium. Please note that the 3rd balcony is very high up. It provides an impressive view, but the front-row seats on this level may not suit those with a fear of heights. Explore the Main Stage and find out more about where to sit. You can also compare the view from different parts of the auditorium.
Price categories: Seats in the auditorium are priced according to the view of the stage and divided into eight price categories (A–H). In addition to seat location, the price is affected by the performance date and demand. Only standard-priced tickets are available in the lowest price categories (F–H).
Discounts
Discounts are available for selected productions, performances, and seats in the Stalls and the 1st and 2nd Balconies, unless otherwise indicated.
- Pensioners: €10 discount per ticket for selected seats in the Stalls and the 1st Balcony. The discount is available to all holders of the card for national pension recipients and anyone aged 65 or over.
- Students, military and non-military servicemen: 40% discount on the full ticket price.
- Children and those aged 20 and under: 40–50% discount on the full ticket price.
- Same-day tickets: A special rate of €30 per ticket is available for those aged 20 and under, students, military and non-military servicemen, the unemployed, and pensioners. The discount applies to seats in the Stalls, no earlier than 12 hours before the performance and subject to availability.
Please note that full-price and concessionary tickets for under-20s, students, and pensioners can be exchanged in our online store free of charge up to 24 hours before the performance. The value of the ticket(s) is credited to your customer account for later use.
Children and young people up to the age of 20 are eligible for a 40–50% discount on ticket prices.
Please note that children under the age of 5 are not admitted to Main Stage performances. The age recommendation for each production can be found at the top of its dedicated page.
For the best view, we recommend seats in the front Stalls or the centre of the 1st Balcony. If you’re unsure which seats would be most suitable, our customer service team will be happy to help you find the best options.
To ensure an enjoyable and memorable visit, see our Visiting with children page for more tips.
You can easily purchase accessible seats either through our online store or customer service. On the auditorium map, you can check the locations of accessible seats in the Main Stage auditorium (pdf). The accessible seats are marked with wheelchair icons to make choosing your seat easier.
Read more detailed instructions for purchasing accessible seats and ensure your visit is effortlessly enjoyable from start to finish.
The programme booklet provides background information about the production, its creators, and the story. It is published on the day of the premiere and can be purchased before the performance from the customer service desk in the Töölönlahti lobby, the sales desk at the Mannerheimintie entrance, all open counters of the Opera Restaurant, and selected members of our lobby staff. The price of the programme booklet is €7.
You can also buy the programme booklet in advance from our customer service desk or online via the Order refreshments page. See more detailed instructions here on how to purchase the programme booklet on the Order refreshments page.
The digital cast details for each opera and ballet, including the evening’s cast and creative team, are published online no later than on the day of the performance (please note that the link opens in a separate window). Cast details are also available on the displays and touch screens in the foyers, as well as under the My events tab in the mobile app.
Enhance your experience with refreshments. You can enjoy refreshments before the performance or during the interval. We recommend placing your order in advance, either through our online store or by calling our customer service. If tables are still available, online sales close no later than 24 hours before the performance.
Using the Opera&Ballet mobile app, you can order interval refreshments to a pick-up counter until shortly before the performance begins. Learn more about pick-up orders.
The Opera House is located by Töölönlahti bay. Our address is Helsinginkatu 58, which is well served by public transport.
The main entrance on the Mannerheimintie side usually opens 1.5 hours before the start of a Main Stage performance. Please make sure you arrive in good time, at least 15 minutes before the performance begins. Latecomers are only admitted after the interval so as not to disturb the performance.
How to dress for the performance? Can I wear perfume? Do I need to pay for the cloakroom? Find answers to these questions and more on our Tips for visitors page. We have put together a comprehensive guide to help make your visit to the Opera House a success.