CARLOS ACOSTA will make his dazzling dance debut at Blackpool Grand Theatre from Wednesday 12 November to Saturday 15 November with his sizzling new show NUTCRACKER IN HAVANA with Acosta Danza.
International ballet superstar Carlos Acosta will be bringing a fiery and fresh twist to the festive favourite, featuring exciting new choreography from the dance icon and performed by more than 20 dancers from his renowned Cuban company Acosta Danza.
Nutcracker in Havana with Acosta Danza is set to an exuberant, newly commissioned Cuban version of the magnificent Tchaikovsky score, arranged by Cuban composer Pepe Gavilondo, and will bring the timeless story to life with ballet remaining at its core, enriched with Acosta Danza’s unique style and with Cuban dance traditions beautifully woven throughout the much-loved and joyful family tale.
Join Clara in her humble home in Havana, getting ready to celebrate Christmas with her family. The beer cans are on the tree and Cuba is suitably hot. When Clara is gifted a Nutcracker doll she embarks on the journey of a lifetime, to defeat the Rat King and into the world of the Sugar Plum Fairy accompanied by her Nutcracker Prince…
Nutcracker in Havana will be a visually stunning spectacular treat for all with spectacular video projection and set design by Nina Dunn (9to5
Musical, Bonnie and Clyde, BRB’s Don Quixote) as Cuba collides with the magical Land of Sweets to bring snow to Havana. Lighting comes from Andrew Exeter (Oti Mabuse: I Am Here, The Full Monty, Johannes Radebe: House of JoJo) and costumes by Angelo Alberto (costume designer for Goyo Montero’s Imponderable and Raul Reinoso’s Satori with Acosta Danza).
Carlos Acosta CBE was born in Havana and trained at the National School of Ballet in Cuba before going on to dance professionally across the world’s most prestigious companies and making London’s renowned Royal Ballet his home.
Carlos said of his sizzling new show: “I am so excited to be bringing this new production to life. Nutcracker is a ballet beloved by so many – it is a Winter tradition, not only for dance lovers but also for dancers. It is many dancers’ dream to perform the various roles of the Nutcracker and I am lucky to have done just that throughout my career. Nutcracker has always been a special show for me. My generation in Cuba grew up without the spirit of Christmas and with this show, I can combine the joy of the Nutcracker with the vibrant Havana culture.
“I cannot wait to take audiences from the humble settings of Clara’s home through to the beautiful dream sequences passing through the grand and vibrant Havana ballrooms of the 1940s and 50s. Infusing the colour, feel and vibrancy of Havana, where I grew up and started my career, with the tradition and beauty of Nutcracker is something I have wanted to do for a long time. I am hugely proud to be bringing my Cuban company Acosta Danza to the Nutcracker, telling that story in a new and different way and letting audiences experience a little piece of what tradition is for me.”
Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker in Havana with Acosta Danza is at Blackpool Grand Theatre from Wednesday 12 November to Saturday 15 November 2025 with matinee and evening performances.
Tickets from £15 with group rates and concessions available for 1894 Club Members.
Please call the Grand Theatre Box Office on 01253 290190 or visit www.BlackpoolGrand.co.ukfor full listings, bookings and further information.
LISTINGS
Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker in Havana with Acosta Danza – Wed 12 Nov to Sat 15 Nov 2025
Thu & Sat matinee at 2.30pm
Grand Theatre, 33 Church Street, Blackpool FY1 1HT
Box Office 01253 290 190
blackpoolgrand.co.uk
Facebook – @blackpoolgrand
Twitter – @Grand_Theatre
Instagram – grandtheatrebpl
