Clara's godfather Drosselmeyer gives her a nutcracker for Christmas - and at the same time tells her the story of his nephew who was turned into a nutcracker by the evil Mouse King. In doing so, he awakens Clara's lively imagination. The girl sets out to free the nephew from the prison of his wooden shell. In this she is helped by her toys which have come to life. Is it all real? Or only a figment of Clara’s imagination? That's for the viewer of this fairy-tale ballet to decide...

With its Christmas story and Peter Tchaikovsky's beloved music, The Nutcracker is one of the most famous ballets in the classical repertoire. Last season, a new production created especially for the Stuttgart Ballet by renowned choreographer Edward Clug celebrated its premiere at the opera house – after an absence of 50 years from the repertoire. Inspired by E.T.A. Hoffman's original novella "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King", Clug’s new version sparkles with wit and imagination, to which Jürgen Rose contributed fabulous sets and costumes. Clug's Nutcracker immerses the audience in breathtaking dream worlds full of life-size toys, floating giant walnuts, hilarious camels as well as spooky mice. It transports adults back to their own childhood and delights children. An enchantingly fantastical ballet for the whole family.