Nutcracker contains more well-known tunes per square yard than probably any other ballet and I suppose there is always the danger that familiarity breeds, if not contempt, then a hope that something new will be brought to the proceedings . . . this production manages to create something that borders on magical and, in places, almost surreal . . .

As with all Bill Kenwright productions, visually it is stunning. The towering, box-like confines of the set by Gary McCann and atmospheric lighting by Chris Davey immediately transport us to the grim environment that is an American prison . . . If you are one of the half-dozen or so people in the civilised world who do not know The Shawshank Redemption then I recommend you take this opportunity to discover it. If you are, like the rest of us, already a fan, you will not be disappointed.

Shakespeare’s green-eyed monster, jealousy, raises its ugly head again in The Winter’s Tale. Its destructive power is a gift for an actor, enabling him to work through his whole repertoire of emotions and techniques, ranging from initial bonhomie to suspicion, to anger, to revenge and finally to regret. There is a lot of meat there into which the able thespian can sink his teeth . . . a satisfying and entertaining, if not exciting or original, production