In the Kingdom of the Sweets (The Nutcracker)

Wednesday 2 November 2022 at 2.00 pm at the Lowther Pavilion.  Guests may attend the lecture – £8 pp (pay on door)

The lecture notes leaflet can be downloaded/printed here

Nigel Bates

This is lecturer Nigel Bates’ second visit to The Arts Society Fylde. He last visited us in December 2013 when he delighted members with a mix of slides, music, and video to accompany his lecture on Tantrums and Tiaras – Behind the Scenes at the Royal Opera House.

Nigel Bates has been a performer for more than 40 years in and out of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, including 17 years as Principal Percussionist with the Orchestra and eight years as the Music Administrator of The Royal Ballet.

He has worked with many of the leading figures in the classical music industry and was also a producer for both the BBC’s Maestro at the Opera and Pappano’s Classical Voices documentary series. He is a regular contributor to the printed and online content of the ROH.

He has given lectures for over 30 years, including many arts societies and conservatoires in the UK and across Australia.

Further information is available on Nigel’s website.

The Nutcracker ballet has delighted audiences at Christmas for many decades yet it was deemed a failure at its initial performances. Based upon the current Royal Ballet production by Sir Peter Wright, this lecture takes a close look at how this well-loved ballet now takes its rightful place on stage and how the music of Tchaikovsky along with story-telling, design, dance and a little bit of stage ingenuity all come together to make the most magical escape for young and old alike. The lecture will include several performance video clips.

Caption: The Nutcracker; performance presented by the Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana. RickDikeman. Public domain