The Christmas season seems to have begun early for The Australian Ballet, which has opened its Melbourne run of Peter Wright’s The Nutcracker. It’s a familiar work for both the company and audiences. The perennial favourite delivers most of what it promises: a fantasy showpiece wrapped in lavish designs by John F Macfarlane, accompanied by a charismatic rendering of Tchaikovsky’s score.

Adam Bull and Amber Scott. Photograph © Jeff Busby

This 1990 version of the work by British choreographer Wright is his second, after his first attempt had limited success. The story of Clara, who receives a magical Nutcracker doll on Christmas Eve, which triggers a series of dreamed adventures, remains intact. But Wright has sought to amplify the magical themes of the work, reimagining Drosselmeyer’s character as a magician (rather than Clara’s uncle) and introducing a Snow Fairy.

But even with minor changes like this, the plot of The Nutcracker is still inescapably thin. Character depth and dramatic tension are in short supply, and the second act is mostly spectacle. This is not a new observation. Similar criticisms have plagued the ballet since its original, lukewarm premiere in 1892.

The strength of the work...