The Nutcracker or the Kingdom of the Night: a fantastic Christmas at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier

At the Comédie-Française, The Nutcracker or the Kingdom of the Night will be a theatrical adaptation loosely based on E. T. A. Hoffmann's fantasy tale. Hoffmann, to be staged from November 27, 2025 to January 4, 2026 at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier. Directed by Johanna Boyé, who has already made a name for herself with La Reine des neiges, l'histoire oubliée, this version of the famous Christmas tale is presented as a visual fable, peopled with oddities and punctuated by songs. Part family theater, part fairytale world, the show reinvents the nutcracker as a life-size automaton, immersed in a dreamlike world of rocambole.

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The story follows Clara, a young girl who is given a life-size automaton nutcracker for Christmas. The toy soon takes on an unexpected dimension, drawing Clara into a parallel world of strange laws, populated by fantastical creatures and enigmatic figures. The show unfolds a nocturnal journey of uncertain contours, somewhere between a daydream and an initiation tale. One scene follows another in an atmosphere of humor, mystery and enchantment, without ever straying far from the world of the original tale.

The show is aimed at families, children aged six or seven and upwards, and all spectators sensitive to fantastic tales and fairytale atmospheres. The humor and freedom of tone allow for several levels of reading, offering adults a second level of reading while maintaining clear accessibility for the youngest. This is not a ballet or a musical in the strict sense of the term, which may come as a surprise to those expecting a danced version in the style of Tchaikovsky.

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Johanna Boyé continues her work on the great folk tales, reinscribing them in a contemporary aesthetic, as she did with The Snow Queen, The Forgotten Story. Her approach emphasizes situational comedy, storytelling strength and a certain lightness, while retaining the structure of the original tale as an anchor. The use of a life-size automaton as the central figure reinforces the strangeness of the show and anchors the proposal in a strong visual tradition.

The Nutcracker or the Kingdom of the Night offers a bold, theatrical reinterpretation of a great classic from the fantasy repertoire. Thanks to its inventive staging and a world of fun, magic and strangeness, the show is a unique addition to the Comédie-Française's winter program, designed for families and fans of revisited fairy tales.

This article is based on information available to the public prior to the show's premiere. It has been written without prior viewing of the play.

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