A charmingly inventive take on the classic Christmas tale is set to delight London audiences this festive season. The Olivier Award-winning theatre company Little Bulb brings its critically acclaimed production of 'The Nutcracker' to the West End's St Martin's Theatre for a limited run from 17 December 2025 to 4 January 2026.
A Playful, DIY Reimagining of a Classic
Directed by Alexander Scott, this version is a world away from traditional ballet interpretations. Aimed primarily at children aged five to twelve, it blends pantomime, puppetry, and playful audience interaction into a vibrant spectacle. The production, which originated at the Polka Theatre, retains a wonderfully homemade, DIY aesthetic that sparks the imagination.
Sam Wilde's set design is a masterclass in creative reuse, transforming simple cardboard boxes into everything from a Christmas tree to a car. This inventive scenery is brilliantly complemented by Joshua Pharo's lighting, which uses dramatic shifts in colour—from moody blues to ominous reds—to signal key moments, such as the arrival of the villainous Mouse King.
An Interactive Adventure in Suburban London
This modern retelling transplants the story to a dilapidated, mouse-infested house in Wimbledon. Here, siblings Clara (Lakeisha Lynch) and Fritz (Dominic Conway) move in with their dad (Shamira Turner). After a visit from their eccentric Aunty Hilda (Caroline Partridge), who brings a mysterious gift of 'special cheese' and the iconic Nutcracker doll, a magical adventure begins.
The show is interactive from the outset, with the audience dubbed 'mice' and warmed up with songs and cheers by 'The Cheesy Five' mouse chorus. When Clara breaks the Nutcracker and must rebuild it, she is shrunk to mouse-size and, with her brother, embarks on a quest through fantastical realms like the Desert of Dust and the Pipes of Peril to defeat the evil Mouse King (a scene-stealing Clare Beresford with multiple floating mouse heads).
Festive Fun with Heart and Humour
The production is brimming with ebullient energy from its talented cast, who switch costumes and characters with seamless ease. Slapstick comedy and plenty of poo jokes sit alongside a heartfelt message about sibling love and family. The soundtrack is a joyous mix of Christmas sing-alongs, Tchaikovsky's classic score, and even a climactic use of The Pogues' 'Fairytale of New York'.
With a running time of 1 hour and 20 minutes and tickets priced from £12.50 to £42.50, this is an ideal and accessible introduction to theatre for young families. Performances are scheduled at various times, including 11:00 and 13:30 matinees, throughout the festive period at St Martin's Theatre, West Street, London WC2H 9NZ (nearest Tube: Leicester Square).
