Cape Ballet Africa Delivers Festive Magic Beyond The Season At Artscape

Photo credit: Lauge Sorensen

Opening night at Artscape delivered a full house – and with it, confirmation that this production resonates well beyond the festive season.

Call it Christmas in February. For audiences navigating an already crowded exhibition and events calendar in the Mother City, this offered two hours of spectacle, escapism and live orchestral splendour.

The Nutcracker follows young Clara, who receives a nutcracker doll on Christmas Eve, falls asleep, and dreams of an adventure in which toys spring to life, a battle is waged against the Rat King, and a journey unfolds through a snow-filled forest to the Land of Sweets.

There, the Sugar Plum Fairy presides over a sequence of dances inspired by chocolate, coffee, tea and other confections. The structure is familiar, but it is the scale and the standard of execution that set this production apart.

Leane` Theunissen in Cape Ballet Africa's The Nutcracker. Photo ccredit:Paul Seaby

The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Brandon Phillips, handled Tchaikovsky’s score with assurance. The Snow Scene had depth and atmosphere, and the celesta in the Sugar Plum Fairy variation was bright and beautifully defined.

Live music gave the production depth and momentum, and the audience loved it.

Staged and choreographed by Maina Gielgud after the original choreography of Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa, the production respects classical structure while maintaining theatrical drive.

Corps formations were clean, spacing disciplined, and principals given room to develop character alongside technique.

The visual ambition deserves emphasis.

With new sets by Michael Mitchell and costumes by Marcel Meyer, this marks the first time in three decades that entirely new designs have been commissioned for a full-length narrative ballet in South Africa.

Gabriel Ravenscroft and Mia Coomber in Cape Ballet Africa's The Nutcracker. Photo credit: Paul Seaby

From a fourth-row seat, the detail was striking: jewel-toned fabrics, layered textures and character costumes that rewarded close inspection. Lighting by Patrick Curtis moved naturally from the warmth of the Christmas party to the cool expanse of the Snow Scene with Leané Theunissen as the Snow Queen.

Gabriel Ravenscroft delivered his strongest performance to date as the Sugar Plum Prince. He danced with confidence and clarity, ably partnering Mia Coomber’s Sugar Plum Fairy. Her final piqué manège – a travelling series of turns – was steady and well placed, each rotation cleanly finished. In the coda of the grand pas de deux, both dancers maintained musical precision and composure through demanding choreography.

The effect was polished and assured, drawing sustained applause.

Several supporting performances stood out. The Christmas Toy Dolls in the opening party scene – Caio Tardelli, Maryana Pobuta and Joshua Williams – brought buoyant energy and sharply defined characterisation.

Aphiwe November, doubling as Fritz and the Rat King, embraced the theatrical contrast of the two roles. His Rat King costume was unforgettable, complete with an animated tail that brought both humour and a touch of menace.

Caio Tardelli and Joshua Williams in Cape Ballet Africa's The Nutcracker. Photo credit: Lauge Sorensen

Gia Lipschitz played Clara with unaffected sincerity, well matched by Gabriel Fernandes Da Silva as the Nutcracker Prince. Together, they kept the story clear, even in the busiest ensemble scenes.

Marcel Meyer’s Drosselmeyer was controlled and quietly enigmatic, sustaining the production’s thread of mystery without overstatement.

Thomas Larché and Mia Coomber brought welcome humour to Mr and Mrs Stahlbaum. Amid the swirl of choreography in the party scene, their performances were subtle but sharply observed, adding detail without distracting from the action.

The young dancers integrated throughout the production performed with confidence and discipline, contributing to the sense of scale. Judging by the audience response, the production connected across generations.

Cape Ballet Africa and its presenting partners have mounted a full-scale classical ballet with live orchestra, new designs and cohesive artistic direction.

The Johannesburg ticket record suggested appetite; the Cape Town response confirmed it. In addition, this staging affirms Cape Ballet Africa artistic director Debbie Turner’s determination to shape the future of ballet in the region by forging sustainable pathways for South African dancers and audiences.

Her vision – spanning performance, repertory building, dancer development and education – is articulated with precision and backed by the organisational strength to realise it.