Theatre and Dance Projects

Ballet and Dance

The Australian Ballet's The Nutcracker - 2007

The Nutcracker for The Australian Ballet was a triumph in set design and construction. The project was begun in mid 2006 with a visit to inspect the original version that had been staged by the Birmingham Royal Ballet back in the early 1990's.

During the first part of 2007 Show Works collaborated with The Australian Ballet in producing not one but two versions of this timeless classic. The second version was a result of the limitations presented by certain touring venues, not capable of staging the full scale set.

The build process covered a huge range of set building techniques including traditional timber theatrical scenery as well as framed steel and aluminium construction.

Acrylic, canvas, polystyrene and a whole range of sculpting materials were used to create the massive array of sets and props.

Production photos supplied by The Australian Ballet, photographer Jim McFarlane

Other recent ballet productions built by Show Works for The Australian Ballet:

• Graham Murphy's Fire Bird
• Raymonda
• Sleeping Beauty
• Swan Lake and many more