“… the Royal Ballet’s Nutcracker is a handsome, magical, thoroughly traditional rendering …” (The Sunday Express – The Nutcracker)

“The dancing of the two young principals, Iohna Loots and Ricardo Cervera as Clara and her enchanted Nutcracker, is characterful and enchanting … this is a generally conventional production [of Nutcracker] which sets off the dancers well … Kirchschlager is a very believable shock-haired boy, and brings Hansel’s boredom and mischief to life with great panache … The delicious profile of the music as delivered is picked up by the orchestra under a most responsive conductor.” (Musicweb International – The Nutcracker)

“Angelika Kirchschlager’s tousled, boyish Hänsel and Diana Damrau’s Gretel are dramatically convincing and vocally superb, while their parents, excellently sung and played by Elizabeth Connell and Thomas Allen, earn our sympathy as well as our censure. Pumeza Matshikiza’s goblin-like Sandman is truly magical and Anita Watson’s feather-dusting Dew Fairy another amusing creation. Colin Davis, unafraid to relish the icing on the cake, draws a warm, effulgent sound from the orchestra.” (Evening Standard – Hansel & Gretel)

“Not only was the production a great one to attend as a first opera, but the DVD is perhaps as good an introduction to opera as one could hope for, a success on almost every front.” (Musicweb International – Hansel & Gretel)