Welcome to Le Crack – the dingiest cabaret club you can’t help but love.
Crawl under the walls and scurry inside for a soiree of seductive burlesque, daring aerial acts, gender-bending deviancy and a house band that will make you squeak with delight. Proudly hosted by your overlord of the underground, the voice of the vermin – The Rat King!
Venture inside if you dare. Come, put your toys down and join the weirdos in the Rat King’s lair...
"bursting with energy... captivating cabaret"
"a riot of colour and creativity"
NUTCRACKER (the alternative cabaret) is a queer love story and an adult twist on a Christmas classic. Directed by Juliette Manon, with original live music from Sam Roberts and Heledd Watkins of HMS Morris, and deliciously dark performances from Len Blanco, Diomede, Cadbury Parfait, Rotten Peach and Daisy Williams.
Based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s original 1816 fairy tale, The Nutcracker and The Mouse King, this immersive Cabaret experience will subvert the norms and muse on the good, the bad and the beautiful in our modern world.
A Wales Millennium Centre + Juliette Manon production.
"queer joy... a reminder that your identity is a strength"
The Company
LEN BLANCO/LEN GWYN (they/he)
The Rat King
DIOMEDE (he/they)
The Nutcracker
CADBURY PARFAIT (she/her)
Fly + The Sugar Plum Fairy
DAISY WILLIAMS (she/her)
Spider + Ellie-Dee
ROTTEN PEACH (she/it)
Moth
HELEDD WATKINS (she/her)
Roach
SAM ROBERTS (he/him)
Papa the Pigeon
Creative Team
Concept by Juliette Manon and devised by the Company
JULIETTE MANON (they/them)
Director
SAM ROBERTS (he/him) + HELEDD WATKINS (she/her) (of HMS Morris)
Composers
ELAN ISAAC (she/her)
Movement Director
BRAD CALEB LEE (he/him)
Set and Costume Designer
JANE LALLJEE (she/her)
Lighting Designer
JAMES TOMLINSON (he/him)
Sound Designer and Engineering
LEILA NAVABI (she/they)
Dramaturg
HAZEL JEWKES (she/her)
Costume Supervisor
ELLIOT DITTON (he/him)
Design Assistant / Maker
Production Team
TOM NAYLOR (he/him)
Production Manager
PHILIPPA MANNION (she/her)
Stage Manager
OLWEN BARNES-ARCHER (she/her)
Deputy Stage Manager
BOE CRECRAFT (he/she/they)
Assistant Stage Manager
GETHIN RAY (he/him)
Assistant Stage Manager
ANDREW WYNNE (he/him)
Lighting Programmer
LEE TINNION (he/him)
Aerial Consultant
EFA SUPERTRAMP (she/they)
Workshop Facilitator
DAUGHTERS OF CARMILLA (she/her)
Workshop Facilitator
NIKKI HARRIS (she/her)
BSL Interpreter
IOAN GWYN (he/him)
Audio Describer
WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE
ALED REES (he/him)
Producer
LYDIA DURNELL (she/her)
Assistant Producer
CONNOR MULLINS (he/him)
Weston Studio Technical Manager
Diolch
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO:
the company members, creatives and creators of the last three years of Christmas cabaret on whose legacy we have built our show.
WITH THANKS TO:
Arts Council Wales; Welsh National Opera Costume and Wig Departments; Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama; Sherman Theatre; Ruby Gibbens; Ruth Stringer; Emily Butler; Kitty Callister; Liv Murton; Syrcas Cimera Caernarfon; OG, Al, Sian + The Circus House Manchester; NoFit State Circus; Duncan Hallis; Branwen Jones; Phil Jones.
Juliette Manon (they/them) – Director
Juliette is a non-binary queer director and multidisciplinary artist from North Wales. They recently completed their residency at Theatr Clwyd as the recipient of the Carne Traineeship for Directors in Wales (22-24) having previously trained at the Royal Northern College of Music and the University of Manchester. They are passionate about platforming underrepresented voices and telling fantastical and silly stories through an abstract lens.
Recent work as Director includes: Lydia Merch y Cwilt (Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru), Dysgu Hedfan (BBC/It’s My Shout), Ble mae trenau’n mynd gyda’r nos a chwestiynnau mawr eraill bywyd (Y Cwmni), Ie Ie Ie (Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru).
As Associate/Staff Director: The Great Gatsby (Theatr Clwyd & The Guild of Misrule), Truth or Dare (Theatr Clwyd), The In-Between, (Theatr Clwyd & NYTW).
Start time: 8.30pm
Matinee 31 December 3.30pm
Running time: approximately 2 hours including an interval
Age restriction: 18+
This is a fun, festive, cabaret spectacular. However, we wanted to share some important content warnings before you enter the space.
Warnings: strong language; scenes of a sexual nature; partial nudity; depictions of violence, homophobia and transphobia; some scenes which audience members may find upsetting; strobe lighting; flashing lights; smoke; haze; sudden loud noises
Access
Wed 11 + Tue 31 December will be BSL interpreted by Nikki Harris
Wed 18 December will be audio described by Ioan Gwyn
IECHYD DA!
Doors open 30 minutes before the performance starts, so you can find a table, catch up with friends and grab a drink via our app. You can also order throughout the show and we'll bring your drinks straight to your table. Lovely!
Seating is unreserved.
We advise larger groups to arrive early so you can find seats together.
If the show is sold out, you may need to share a table.
Disabled, Students, Under 30s + unwaged
£3 off (excluding previews)
Group offer
Groups 10+ £3 off (excluding previews)
When booking online, the groups discount will be automatically applied at Checkout.
HYNT SCHEME
Free tickets for carers and companions. Find out more about the Hynt access scheme.
All offers subject to allocations and availability.
BSL Interpreted
Audio Described
