Fantasy through naturalism: Julia Trevelyan Oman and The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker is one of the most successful ballets in the world, accounting for almost half of the annual revenue of ballet companies across North America and Europe. As the third-largest ballet company in the world, the Royal Ballet’s version is one of the most recognizable, with designs created in 1984 by Julia Trevelyan Oman. Oman is the set and costume designer responsible for some of the longest continually running designs created for the Royal Opera House in London. Her method can be characterized as a highly detailed naturalism facilitated by meticulous research often centring on a period from history relating to the original conception of the narrative. Oman would use details gathered during her research process in order to build her theatrical worlds, in many instances creating high realism, and in others a complete immersive fantasy. The specific production of The Nutcracker serves as the epitome of Oman’s design practice, a perfect blend of her historical naturalism and detail-oriented fantasy. The production is praised for the design, yet Oman is largely neglected from the narrative around it. This article explores Oman’s design practice when working on The Nutcracker creating the splendour and success of London’s highest grossing ballet.