Everything "Nutcracker"

English National Ballet’s Nutcracker Will Broadcast on PBS

December 12, 2025

Last December, English National Ballet debuted its new Nutcracker, choreographed by artistic director Aaron S. Watkin and Olivier Award winner Arielle Smith. The production featured a feast of eloquently crafted sets, headpieces, and costumes designed by Dick Bird, and lighting by Paul Pyant. This year, ENB is spreading the holiday cheer by bringing that production to audiences worldwide through a PBS broadcast on December 16 at 9 pm EST.     

  • Onstage, a corps de ballet of snowflakes pose in front of a giant icy tree. In front of them, an ice seahorse pulls an ice carriage holding Clara and the Nutcracker Prince. The Snow Queen stands in tendu, beckoning toward them, at stage right.
    English National Ballet in Aaron S. Watkins and Arielle Smith’s The Nutcracker. Photo by Photography by ASH, courtesy ENB.
  • The Sugar Plum Fairy and Sugar Plum cavaliar stand facing the right leading a group of dancers in pink behind them. They all stand with their left leg and left arm extended to the back with their right arm arched above their head.
    Photo by Photography by ASH, courtesy ENB.
  • Three couples pose inside of an open horizontal wooden box. The male dancers wear black suits with gold trimming and the females wear colorful layered pancake tutus.
    Photo by Photography by ASH, courtesy ENB.

Great Performances: Nutcracker from English National Ballet will show the company’s Edwardian spin on the classic Nutcracker story with over 100 dancers and musicians performing at the London Coliseum. Among the featured performers are Delilah Wiggins as younger Clara, Ivana Bueno as older Clara, Junor Souza as Drosselmeyer, Francesco Gabriele Frola as the Nutcracker Prince, Emma Hawes as the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Aitor Arrieta as the Sugar Plum Cavalier. Viewers can watch the December 16 broadcast on PBS, or they can stream it for free for 28 days afterward on The PBS Great Performances website and the PBS app. (Afterwards, it will transfer to PBS Passport.)

So for those of us looking for a new addition to this year’s holiday movie night, look no further! Grab your hot cocoa and gather around to enjoy a sweet ballet treat onscreen.

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