Nutcracker!

Characters PowerPoint

The characters in Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! are all much larger than life in both worlds and every character is unique, even the orphans in their grey smocks and shorts.

Bourne says; ‘

one of the pleasures of creating these characters was to link them with their orphanage counterparts. In Clara’s imagination her friends become the fluffy Marshmallow girls, the yobby Gobstopper boys, the vain Liquorice Allsort trio and the lewd and sticky Knickerbocker Glory. Her best friends, the twins, become her heavenly helpers, The Cupids. Dr and Mrs Dross transform into the gluttonous rulers of Sweetieland, King Sherbet and Queen Candy, and their bratish children, Sugar and Fritz, grow up into the glamorous Princess Sugar and saucy Prince Bon Bon. Everything is edible in Sweetieland and its inhabitants are judged not by how they look but by how they taste.’

We are going to look at each character through there costume, dance movements, music and lighting.

Character

Copy up the table below on a whole side of A4 paper

Costume Dance Movements Music Lighting

Costumes DESCRIBE COSTUMES using these words … allowing and restricting movement, cost, formal, flow, line, size, weight, colour, texture, decoration.

CONTIBUTIONS OF COSTUME  Mood and Atmosphere  Era  Social setting  Historical setting    Sense of Place Sense of Time  Event  Location Character/Role  Season    Gender Groups of Dancers  Status Theme of Dance

Physical Setting Points

Describe Set, Lighting & Props  Colour   Shape Size & Location    Style Texture Mood Other Considerations      Cost Durability Ease of dancing Health and Safety Size of Space It’s really important to DESCRIBE the set, lighting and props in each example that you discuss

Physical Setting Points – Magic List Physical Setting Contributions             Support the dance style Provide a context Provide a sense of reality Create interest Can replace dancer - support Time of day / Season Establishes mood Props help identify character Can provide a climax Setting the dance in an era Can provide exits and entrances Geographical location o o o o o o o o o o o o Creates social context Light/set can structure dance Props can inspire movement Lighting can highlight Set creates shape and levels Add texture Compliments other components Can clarify narrative Can show changes in time Add to the theme of the dance Add humor Add variety through set and lighting changes Always Remember to Include Examples

Clara

The Nutcracker

 The Nutcracker full-size puppet is an interesting and challenging character to portray because of his strong physicality. His movements are stilted, his gaze fixed and his joints are stiff.

The Frozen Lake

Cupids

Dr Dross who becomes King Sherbet Matron who becomes Queen Candy

Fritz who becomes Prince Bon Bon

Sugar who becomes Princess Sherbet

The Head Banging Gobstoppers

This trio of boys come on stage wearing doc martens and crash helmets. Their outfits enhance their actions and movements.

Knickerbocker Glory

Liquorice Allsorts

The Marshmallow Girls

Humbug Bouncer

Nutcracker! Example answers

Set/lighting helps create contrast  The contrast between the dark colours in set and lighting of the workhouse and colour of Sweetieland Lighting establishes mood  The brightness and soft colours used create a magical and fun feel to Act 2 Set creates varied levels/platforms  The wedding cake creates different levels for the dancers The set creates exits and entrances  Dancers enter through doors in side flats, upstage window and mouth into Sweetieland