The Pannon Philharmonic, Ballet Pécs and the Bóbita Puppet Theatre are staging Tchaikovsky’s great classic, The Nutcracker with the desire to establish a great, new tradition.

Kodály Centre with its excellent acoustics and its uplifting atmosphere has a splendid family event in store for you in nearly each December. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s  masterpiece The Nutcracker is ever-popular and ever-enjoyable. It is the composer’s last ballet and final stage work. Generations have grown up with various productions of The Nutcracker and thanks to these, they have come closer to music and dance. The symbolism of the composition is a living proof for children of all eras that their imagination can soar freely, is full of colours and adventures.

The libretto is an adaptation of E. T. A. Hoffmann's tale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. The story in a nutshell: the war between the good Nutcracker and evil Mouse King breaks out on Christmas Eve, and Clara suddenly finds herself in the middle of the battle.  Thanks to his courage and generosity, the Nutcracker - whose identity is concealed until the very end of the story - triumphs over the evil Mouse King and with that, he breaks the spell. He takes Clara on a magic trip to fairyland, the realm of endless imagination.

The troupe of Ballet Pécs and the audience of the city are just about to explore a fantastic opportunity, as the ballet will be staged for the first time with the accompaniment of of the Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra. To make the production even more thrilling, an artist of the Bóbita Puppet Theatre will act as a narrator or at other times, as an active participant during the performance. He will assist the audience with a Nutcracker puppet in his hand. We don’t intend to stage a modernised production, as the very essence of The Nutcracker is a magic Christmas dream.

The Nutcracker is staged as a co-production of the Pannon Philharmonic, the Ballet of Pécs and the Bóbita Puppet Theatre and is sponsored by the Ministry of Human Capacities and the National Cultural Fund of Hungary.