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Backstage articles

Nutcracker - all that glitters

Kristian Fredrikson's incredible designs for Graeme Murphy's legendary ballet

Rose Mulready
The Australian Ballet

The sumptuous glamour of the Imperial Theatres. The rich brocades of a Tsar's ballroom. The Deco dazzle of post-war Australia. It's all in Kristian Fredrikson's incomparable designs for Graeme Murphy's Nutcracker - The story of Clara.

Fredrikson, who delighted in period detail, excelled himself in this ballet, which takes us from St Petersburg at the turn of the century to 1950s Melbourne. On the way we discover Bolshevik rats, Egyptian dock labourers and snowflakes: but today, we exult in the shimmering detail of Fredrikson's costumes for Clara's triumphs on stage and in high society.

Zoom in close to marvel at the layers of embellishment and pitch-perfect detail that make these pieces shine.

Nutcracker - The Story of Clara
Graeme Murphy’s acclaimed reimagining of The Nutcracker, like his Swan Lake, masterfully weaves together the enchantment and fantasy of the beloved classic with emotional depth and a modern perspective.
What's On - The Australian Ballet

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