Christmas is just around the corner, and the magic has already taken over the city. This year, especially, London is filled with festive luxury like never before. With a spellbinding and seductive reimagining of Tchaikovsky’s classic Nutcrackerwe’re celebrating in style. Brought to life by a cast of world-class West End performersthis is a night of stunning entertainment you won’t forget.
If you’re anything like me, you love dazzling fashion, banging music and choreo, and just the right amount of glitter. Well, guess what, The Nutcracker Noir might be your next stop. And of course, it offers seasonal cocktails and a gourmet five-course dinner – what’s not to like? We made our way to see the show in Protein Studios, Shoreditch, and it exceeded our expectations. Spoiler alert: extravagant is just not enough to describe this.
What to expect at the entrance?
Surprisingly, the entrance is not what you would expect at all; you actually enter a Christmas market filled with various stalls. From a Seriously Seasonal Grosseries stall offering themed supermarket items to The British Aisles and Customisation Station, filled with festive bits. And of course, a station for the guest like myself, giving out festive alcoholic and nonalcoholic shots. Not too difficult to keep me happy.
But that’s not all. As we walked towards the Merry & More Mart and the Utterly British Aisle, we got to indulge in a charcoal cone. Made with pastrami, sugar plum jam and smoked cheese, it definitely got our taste buds dancing. At last, we walked into the room where the story really begins: The Chilled Department.
Magical beginning
Once we left our coats behind at the cloak room, the experience began. Like many Christmas stories, it started with making a Christmas wish. Then, a big red door opened in front of us, and we met one of the most fabulous-looking characters I have ever seen – Elf Eldar. Soon, he was filling our experience with gifts and enchantment. Honestly, the magical number really left us asking: how did he do that? All that aside, I couldn’t stop thinking about his fabulous costume and charisma.
As the stories continued, we soon entered the next room, where the infamous Nutcracker characterClara herself, told us her reimagined backstory. One thing that stood out to me was the projection installation, transforming the room into a fairytale itself. Surrounding us with moving images, it created a dramatic effect.
Later on, we walked into an office space where we met more stunning characters. That’s right, it’s a whole journey before you reach the actual show! With each character we met, the story unfolded, and we felt more and more immersed, truly living the plot ourselves.
The Nutcracker Noir show
Once we entered the Black Clubwe could sense the holiday cheer all around us. Not to mention the fancy decorations, red drapes, gorgeous Christmas tree and seductive lighting. Sitting at the front was a big advantage as we got to really live the plot. From a stunning DJ set to dazzling choreographyall while telling a heartwarming story of reunion. Not to mention such banggers as Anxiety, Rolling in the Deep or Abracadarba – you have to be there to understand how iconic it all was.
As a part of the VIP package, we even got to go to a secret room with one of the characters, where we uncovered mysteries of the Nutcracker Noir story. They even had a singing contestencouraging audience participation. Basically, a show filled with holiday magic, endless surprises and talented performers.
Was the food good?
If there’s one thing I like more than a good show, is delicious food – and we had plenty. Starting with some scrumptious sourdough bread paired with rich Brick Lane butter and a glass of Laurent-Perrier Brut NV Champagnewe started off strong. And kept going stronger with a chalk stream trout with celeriac and apple remoulade, chive crumble. Followed by Nori & brown sugar cured trout with tomato ponzu, griddled cucumber, fresh radish, katsuobushi & tobiko.
As the show continued, we finally got to enjoy our main course. Bringing Christmas traditions to life on the edge of glamour, this five-course fine dining was crafted by culinary genius Jenny McNeill herself. And the main course was not disappointing at all. A slow-braised beef cheek with smoky BBQ reduction served with mid-winter salad – absolutely mouth-watering, and great to pair with a glass of wine, if you like.
Guess my favourite part of the night? Basque cheesecake with Spanish brandy, orange and vanilla-soused prunes – as full as I felt from the other courses, I definitely had space for a dessert. And The Nutcracker Noir wouldn’t have felt the same without some festive cocktails. Partnered with the award-winning mixologiststhey have crafted a cocktail menu inspired by the story itself. My personal favourite was Winter Bloomwith a little cookie Christmas tree attached as a treat, it looked, smelled and tasted like Christmas.
Final thoughts
If there’s one thing I love more than food (surprise, surprise), it has to be fashion. And The Nutcracker Noir was an absolute fashion show. Gorgeous colourful wigs, immaculate make-up looksand design elements of each costume. I couldn’t stop looking at a beautiful pink Clara’s dress with fairy lights installed in it. Or red dazzling heels worn by Madame Zel. And of course, Elf Eldar with his stunning blue and purple fuzzy jacket – iconic.
When I first heard about the Nutcracker tale being reimagined, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised with the whole production. The show, the characters, the food and, of course, the atmosphere – all left me feeling festive. Not to mention how incredibly luxurious the whole experience was. If there is one Christmas event you need to visit in London this DecemberThe Nutcracker Noir should be something to consider.
