With go-go boots, bouffant hairdos and dancing Barbies, this Nutcracker seesaws between hilarious satire and loving homage.

Transposed to a kitsch 1970’s home, where the Christmas tree is plastic, a yule log burns on TV, the maid has attitude and the party guests do the bump, this is a pop culture fantasy come to life. Episodes of Noël nuttiness share the spotlight with the tender unfurling of childhood fantasies and first love.

Returning to E.T.A. Hoffmann’s original story, and impeccably faithful to the complete Tchaikovsky score, The Hard Nut is at once a send up of the conventional ballet and also a tribute.

Featuring 33 dancers, the 45-piece Royal Ballet Symphonia, a choir and full staging, this is a rare opportunity to see The Hard Nut, a Mark Morris signature piece. Due to its large scale, the show rarely tours and has previously been seen in only four cities worldwide.