The Nutcracker
Bachtrack.com
Graham Watts
November 23, 2016
'The show, however, belongs largely to Avis. Wright’s production majors on the mysterious magician, Drosselmeyer, as the key to the transition from the world of flesh and blood to the fantasy land of snow and sweets. It used to be a role that Sir Anthony Dowell devoured with all the stage mastery that great dancer possessed (a performance one can still catch on DVD) but it is now wholly owned by Avis who delivers the dual role of magician and master of ceremonies with just the right mix of charisma, authority and subtlety. It is a tour de force by a performer who sublimates self to character in the best chameleon-like tradition of great acting.'
[Read More Nutrcacker Crits]
Graham Watts
November 23, 2016
'The show, however, belongs largely to Avis. Wright’s production majors on the mysterious magician, Drosselmeyer, as the key to the transition from the world of flesh and blood to the fantasy land of snow and sweets. It used to be a role that Sir Anthony Dowell devoured with all the stage mastery that great dancer possessed (a performance one can still catch on DVD) but it is now wholly owned by Avis who delivers the dual role of magician and master of ceremonies with just the right mix of charisma, authority and subtlety. It is a tour de force by a performer who sublimates self to character in the best chameleon-like tradition of great acting.'
[Read More Nutrcacker Crits]
The Jewish Chronicle
Joy Sable
December 21, 2016
'And if you catch Gary Avis as Drosselmeyer (the cast varies at all the performances), you will see this fine actor/dancer command the stage with a single look or gesture, combining magic and mystery.'
The Times
Debra Craine
November 25th, 2016
'Hayward floated through the charming choreography, lighter than air and pleased as punch to be there. Alexander Campbell was an ardent Nutcracker, while Gary Avis, as the conjurer Drosselmeyer, presided over proceedings with incredible flair.'
Daily Telegraph
Mark Monahan
November 23rd, 2016
'As for Herr Drosselmeyer, the enigmatic magician who drives the entire plot, no one can swish a turquoise cape quite like Gary Avis: this masterful dancer-actor lends pompous exactitude, wittily theatrical flamboyance and cast-iron authority to this vital part.'
The Independent
Zoë Anderson
November 23, 2016
'The magician Drosselmeyer can become an overbearing character in this staging, but Gary Avis pitches it just right. He’s a kindly figure who can command mysterious forces, linking the magic back to the human story.'
Evening Standard
Lyndsey Winship
November 23rd, 201
'Gary Avis warmly commands the stage as the toymaker Drosselmeyer who conjures up the whole shebang.'
The Stage
Neil Norman
November 23rd, 2016
'Gary Avis pitches Dosselmeyer himself somewhere between Prospero and a Las Vegas magician. It is perfectly poised and his continued presence throughout emphasises his control over the fantasy and the conjurations.'
Financial Times
Clement Crisp
November 23rd, 2016
'Here, audiences can rejoice, is an honourable, endearing Nutcracker, secure in its prodigious score, blessed with a proper sense of history in design as in style, and offering characterisations truthful and truthfully danced — not least from Alexander Campbell as a Nutcracker impeccable in step and drama, from Francesca Hayward as a charming Clara, and from Gary Avis as a commanding Drosselmeyer.'
The Operatunist.wordpress.com
December 27th, 2015
'And then there is Gary Avis. Does a more perfect Drosselmeyer walk the stage anywhere on the globe?
Glitter suits him, tricks were fun, but above all he gives us the magic, the poise, the glint in the eye that tells us that magic is afoot. And in his hug for Nephew at the end, beautiful munificence.
Give the man an Honour.'
The Independent
Zoe Anderson
December 20th, 2015
'As Drosselmeyer, Gary Avis commands the action, his gestures beautifully weighted.'
The Sunday Times
David Dougill
December 20th, 2015
'Gary Avis was a Drosselmeyer of benign authority, with soulful undercurrents.'
The Financial Times
Clement Crisp
December 16, 2015
'Gary Avis a superb Drosselmeyer; Francesca Hayward a charming Clara; and Alexander Campbell a fine and dashing Nutcracker.'
The Guardian
Judith Mackrell
December 15th, 2015
'Gary Avis is a debonair, devilish Drosselmeyer.'
Evening Standard
Lyndsey Winship
December 14, 2015
'Wright’s key feature, and the glue holding everything together, is Drosselmeyer (the excellent Gary Avis), who in this telling is a magician with lots of actual tricks up his sleeve. He conjures all manner of fantastical characters that keep the first act a box of constant delights: harlequins, toy soldiers, lions, a gaggle of mice and some gorgeous gilded angels.'
TheArtsDesk.com
Hanna Weibye
December 10, 2015
'But even the best story is nothing if not told well, and the dancers of the Royal Ballet do it marvellously. Tall Gary Avis as Drosselmeyer is your favourite friendly-mysterious uncle (a touch of the Peter Capaldi about him.'
ayoungertheatre.com
Manuel Muñoz
December 10, 2015
'The action is, of course, led by classy magician Drosselmeyer, expertly and cape-swirlingly played by Gary Avis.'
BalletCoForum.com
Jenny Taylor
December 10, 2015
'Dream cast - Gary Avis (I put him first deliberately), Alexander Campbell and Francesca Hayward, Steven McRae and Iana Salenko. Brilliant all round in very different ways. Gary Avis - what can one say. He held the stage, with his cape swishes and multiple glitter scatterings. I was in Christmas heaven. I think he set the scene for the rest of the cast. Dream pairings for the other principal roles, beautifully executed dancing and blissful ambience. Never have I waxed so lyrical about a Nutcracker.'
Bachtrack.com
Mark Pullinger
December 9, 2015
'Midnight chimes. A sinister bass clarinet throbs, a harp glints and the strings begin their ascent. Gary Avis’ debonair Drosselmeyer flings glitter to the heavens and the Christmas tree magically grows. This can only mean one thing: The Royal Ballet’s Nutcracker is back. Christmas has truly arrived and Tchaikovsky’s ballet continues to delight young and old with its festive magic, light dusting of snow and its chocolate-box score. Drosselmeyer plays a much more significant role in Wright’s version, escorting Clara and the Nutcracker to the Kingdom of Sweets (cleverly modelled on the cake he presents at the Stahlbaums’ Christmas party) and acting as Master of Ceremonies. Gary Avis plays him with avuncular, cape-twirling grace – everyone’s favourite uncle.'
BalletCoForum.com
Nina G
December 10, 2015
'Of course we couldn't do without "our" marvellous Gary Avis! Very tempted to see this cast once more.'
The Stage
Neil Norman
December 9, 2015
'Gary Avis swirls his turquoise cloak in style as Drosselmeyer, the magician and manipulator of the action,'
The Times
Donald Hutera
December 9, 2015
'Gary Avis dashes about in a rippling aqua cape, played the actual part with a wonderful sleight-of-hand flourish.'
Dancetabs.com
Jann Parry
December 9, 2015
'The magician who brings all this about is the central character of Drosselmeyer – Gary Avis on the opening night of this revival. Drosselmeyer used to be rather a sinister figure, with a black patch over one eye. Now he’s a benign, glamorous master-of-ceremonies who brings a sparkle of gold dust to everything he touches.'
Londondance.com
Graham Watts
December 9, 2015
'Wright places the magician, Drosselmeyer, as the central cog to all the action and Gary Avis brings gravitas with a flourish to this vital character who is largely ever-present from the opening prologue to the closing scene: a master of ceremony, an accomplished magician, an inventor but – above all – an uncle desperate to free his nephew from the Mouse King’s spell.'
Pasdeblog.com
Morgan
December 9, 2015
'Gary Avis’s definitive Drosselmeyer is the thread that connects the whole story as he acts as a guide for both Clara and the audience.'
Dance Europe
Diarmaid O'Meara
January 2014
'Gary Avis's Drosselmeyer is a treat, he's a veteran of the role and takes full advantage of every musical highlight to swish his blue cape or throw a handful of glitter.'
The Sunday Times
David Dougill
December 22, 2013
'Sir Peter Wright makes the magician Drosselmeyer the main character which gives the plot more logical cohesion than in some other versions. Drosselmeyer is a man with a mission: to free his nephew Hans-Peter from the spell that has transformed him into the Nutcracker Doll. Gary Avis plays him with dash, dignity and a sense of yearning. He masterminds all the fantastic happenings in the ballet, including the battle of the mice and toy soldiers, and the journey to the Land of Snow and Kingdom of Sweets.'
Carrie Seidman
arts.heraldtribune.com
December 18, 2013
'Avis, who now largely dances character roles, has claimed this non-dancing one as his own, with wonderful facial expressions and swirlings of his billowing cape.'
Row B Seat 87 (Blog)
December 12, 2013
'If there was, however, a single genuinely spectacular performance this evening, it was Gary Avis's Drosselmeyer. This is a character role, but a pretty active one, and something of a binding figure throughout. Avis was outstanding, vibrant, forceful, compellingly intense, giving a keen sense of the urgency of his longing to see his nephew delivered from the spell, and his joy at achieving his goal. He swirled around the stage in his turquoise and gold cloak, surging forward and dropping back with faultless timing, striking a lovely balance between the genuine magician who sets things in motion, and the simple party illusionist he pretends to be for his social circle in the first act. This was a truly magical Drosselmeyer such as I have rarely seen, and it lifted the whole proceedings to a new level.'
The Guardian
Judith Mackrell
December 9, 2013
'But Gary Avis's Dr Stahlbaum comes with an intriguingly implied backstory (former military, a bit of a ladies' man), and I like Meaghan Grace Hinkis' fresh, unmannered Clara.'
The Metro
Siobhan Murphy
December 9, 2013
'Peter Wright’s production has been tweaked over the years and now there’s a surprisingly coherent storyline running through, with Clara’s adventures presented as an attempt by toymaker/magician Herr Drosselmeyer to save his nephew.
Gary Avis brings authority and the requisite touch of melancholy to the role of Drosselmeyer, acting as a lurking ringmaster, conducting events: he also proves a dab hand at magic tricks during the opening Christmas party at Clara’s house.'
BalletCoForum
Simon B Fisher
December 6, 2013
'Where would we be without Mr Avis - he really is a fantastic actor-dancer and he was, for me, quite the star of the show.'
LondonDance.com
Graham Watts
December 6, 2013
'Another reason for the success of this production is the coherence brought to it by the central figure of Drosselmeyer. His plot to use the love of the Stahlbaum’s young daughter, his god-daughter Clara, to save his nephew Hans-Peter from imprisonment in the Nutcracker doll is what gives the tale its momentum and takes Clara and Hans-Peter on their magical mystery tour to the Kingdoms of Snow and Sweets. Gary Avis has made this role his own in recent years, a commanding presence with his swishing cloak, enveloping clouds of glitter and sundry other magical tricks; Avis injects clarity and purpose into every carefully-nuanced action and I can think of very few other essentially non-dancing roles that are so dominant than the part of Drosselmeyer (in Peter Wright’s production) when given such conviction by this consummate character artist.'
Daily Express
Neil Norman
December 6, 2013
'By rerouting the character of magician/toymaker Drosselmeyer into the story’s controlling influence, the two disparate halves are yoked together in a satisfactory narrative arc. It becomes his journey as he attempts to unweave the spell that has trapped his son Hans-Peter in the body of the nutcracker.
It also gives the great character dancer Gary Avis a proper role as he appears in almost every significant scene as a master puppeteer of the action.'
The Independent
Zoe Anderson
December 5, 2013
'Gary Avis gives the magician Drosselmeyer a touch of melancholy alongside the panache.'
Evening Standard
Liz Hoggard
December 5, 2013
'But the masterstroke of Peter Wright’s production is to make magician Herr Drosselmeyer the main character — a manipulative master of ceremonies with a whiff of Simon Cowell. To save his nephew who has been transformed into a nutcracker doll, he persuades his god-daughter, Clara, to leave her family on Christmas Eve and journey into a world of fantasy. It gives the ballet coherence and makes for genuinely gripping theatre rather than just a sugar-coated 19th-century fable. As Clara, Francesca Hayward is all febrile limbs and burgeoning sexuality. The Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince are the rock stars of the production. But it’s Gary Avis’s Drosselmeyer who dominates the stage, a master judge in his own talent show.'
Arts Desk
Hannah Weibye
December 4, 2013
'In his story treatment, Wright eschews any Freudian flights of fancy and gives the original scenario one simple but effective twist: making Drosselmeyer, gifter of the Nutcracker doll, into an urbane, talented magician who sets up the whole Clara/Nutcracker encounter because his beloved nephew has been imprisoned in the wooden toy. This allows Gary Avis to sweep magnificently around the stage all evening, organising the action and providing an important element of continuity across the potentially profound disjuncture between the two Acts, but more importantly, it makes the potentially creepy Drosselmeyer into a sympathetic character. In fact, one of the most touching moments of the whole ballet is when the powerful conjuror tenderly ties a scarf around the neck of a doll. Gary Avis, an experienced character dancer, is a known quantity....'
The Sunday Times
David Dougill
December 16, 2012
'In the opening cast, Gary Avis is a master of the role of Drosselmeyer, conveying mystery, authority, joviality and potent yearning for the spell that transformed his nephew Hans-Peter into the Nutcracker doll to be broken.'
The Financial Times
Clement Crisp
December 16, 2012
'Gary Avis as Drosselmeyer established a mood of benevolent mystery, so vital to the drama, and Sir Peter Wright has evoked a world in which we believe.'
The Sunday Telegraph
Louise Levene
December 16, 2012
'Gary Avis's Drosselmeyer spun the plot with wit and verve.'
The Independent
Zoë Anderson
December 10, 2012
'Gary Avis makes a thoughtful Drosselmeyer, avoiding the camp that can come with this expanded role, and showing a sense of wonder as he conjures up the growing tree or the Land of Sweets.'
The Londonist
Laurad
December 11, 2012
'There are numerous dancers who shine, but it is Gary Avis' sparklingDrosselmeyer that carries the story and gives the show its fabulous festive magic. Meaghan ...'
The Stage
Katie Columbus
December 10, 2012
'Drosselmeyer (Gary Avis) directs the action with clever tricks and a commanding presence on a sumptuous Victorian stage.'
TheArtsDesk.com
Matthew Paluch
December 10, 2012
'The most individual of all is Herr Drosselmeyer (Gary Avis), godfather to young Clara Stahlbaum (Meaghan Grace Hinkis) who becomes the protagonist that takes the audience from Victorian period Europe to a distant, magical kingdom.'
MarkRonan.wordpress.com
Mark Ronan
December 11, 2012
'At the start of this Peter Wright production, we see Drosselmeyer in his workshop ... underlying everything including the adult dances, and Gary Avis as the father...'
The Financial Times
Clement Crisp
December 9, 2011
'...and Gary Avis is a superlative Drosselmeyer, guiding the narrative.'
LondonDance.com
Graham Watts
December 9, 2012
'No other artist brings the magic and the power to Drosselmeyer as does the peerless Gary Avis and he is the pivotal reason for this show’s success. Avis performs conjuring tricks with the skill and dexterity of the late and much-lamented Ali Bongo. But his greatest magic is to convince us that he alone is responsible for the magical transformation of the Stahlbaum Living Room as its giant Christmas tree grows under his powerful spell to the memorable, panoramic music of Tchaikovsky. Avis has an almighty stage presence that never fails to give his characters an impressive, dynamic weight. At this stage of a brilliant career, Avis as Drosselmeyer in Wright’s production of The Nutcracker is a match made if not in heaven, then certainly in the Kingdom of the Sweets.'
The British Theatre Guide
Vera Liber
December, 2011
'Drosselmeyer, clockmaker and inventor but also Clara’s godfather, is seen in his modest workshop home, preparing special treats for the Stahlbaum household and worrying about his bewitched nephew Hans-Peter trapped in the Nutcracker’s wooden body.
Then he is amongst them, a larger than life figure, shaking magic dust from his hat, performing magic tricks—making marionettes dance, a boy fly and time stand still. Gary Avis, splendid character actor/dancer towering over them all, is made for the role. Sweeping cloak, grand gestures, but reassuringly warm.'
The Tyro Theatre Critic
Robert Walport
January 12, 2012
'For all that is good about this production it wasn't given the strongest of outings at this performance. With Gary Avis as Drosselmeyer the ballet's heart was assured, Avis is second to none in character roles.'
The Independent
Zoë Anderson
December 5, 2011
'By the second act, everything had moved up several gears, with starry casting in the divertissement dances and brighter playing from the orchestra. Melissa Hamilton floats through the Arabian dance, partnered strongly by Gary Avis.'
The Financial Times
Clement Crisp
January, 2009
'Gary Avis as Drosselmeyer was a marvel of vivid, musically exact and commanding gesture and dramatic presence.'
The Sunday Times
David Dougill
December 28, 2008
'As Herr Drosselmeyer, the magician-mastermind of the story, Gary Avis is an impressive controller, strong on bonhomie'
Jeffery Taylor
December 2008
'Gary Avis is a refreshingly robust Drosselmayer who governs the fantasy'
The Independent
Zoë Anderson
December 18, 2008
'Peter Wright's 1984 production got fussier when he revised it in 1999, expanding the role of the magician Drosselmeyer. This is less of a problem when the role is played by Gary Avis. He's a beautifully understated magician, impressive but unbending, his emotions held in.'
The Times
Debra Craine
December 17, 2008
'Gary Avis makes for an especially affecting Herr Drosselmeyer, bringing the story to life with his wily tricks and passionate orchestration of Clara's fantastical journey to the Land of Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets.'
The Telegraph
Mark Monahan
December 17, 2008
'Gariy Avis (as ever) a cracking and entertainingly smug Drosselmeyer.'
The Guardian
Judith Mackrell
December 17, 2008
'Yet when you get Gary Avis as Drosselmeyer, straining every sinew to command the deep magic that will rescue Hans-Peter from his curse, you not only catch echoes of the more sinister Hoffmann tale on which the ballet is based - you also get a much bigger thrill from the visual dazzle of the stage effects.'
Ballet.co
Jane Simpson
December 2008
London, Covent Garden
'Herr Drosselmeyer now has so much to do that he's become almost the star of the evening, helped by the amazing amount of detail Gary Avis puts into his characterisation.'
The Sunday Times
David Dougill
December 24, 2006
'First off, Gary Avis was stylish and authoritative as Herr Drosselmeyer, the fantasy’s linchpin; Iohna Loots is sweet and fleet as Clara; and Ricardo Cervera tugs at the heartstrings with the ardour of Hans-Peter, released from the Nutcracker spell by Clara’s devotion.'
The Observer
Luke Jennings
December 17, 2006
'The production is made or broken by the quality of its Drosselmeyer, the magician who animates Clara's journey, and Gary Avis does not let us down. Avis was one of the sextet of male dancers who left the Royal Ballet in the dark days of 1999, when the Opera House was closed. His travels took him to Japan and elsewhere, and when he returned to the Royal in 2004 it was with a renewed sense of imaginative purpose. Today, his authority in character roles is absolute, and as Drosselmeyer he allows us to glimpse the calculation behind the genial exterior. This is no kindly uncle but a cosmic manipulator with an agenda of his own.'
[Close]
Joy Sable
December 21, 2016
'And if you catch Gary Avis as Drosselmeyer (the cast varies at all the performances), you will see this fine actor/dancer command the stage with a single look or gesture, combining magic and mystery.'
The Times
Debra Craine
November 25th, 2016
'Hayward floated through the charming choreography, lighter than air and pleased as punch to be there. Alexander Campbell was an ardent Nutcracker, while Gary Avis, as the conjurer Drosselmeyer, presided over proceedings with incredible flair.'
Daily Telegraph
Mark Monahan
November 23rd, 2016
'As for Herr Drosselmeyer, the enigmatic magician who drives the entire plot, no one can swish a turquoise cape quite like Gary Avis: this masterful dancer-actor lends pompous exactitude, wittily theatrical flamboyance and cast-iron authority to this vital part.'
The Independent
Zoë Anderson
November 23, 2016
'The magician Drosselmeyer can become an overbearing character in this staging, but Gary Avis pitches it just right. He’s a kindly figure who can command mysterious forces, linking the magic back to the human story.'
Evening Standard
Lyndsey Winship
November 23rd, 201
'Gary Avis warmly commands the stage as the toymaker Drosselmeyer who conjures up the whole shebang.'
The Stage
Neil Norman
November 23rd, 2016
'Gary Avis pitches Dosselmeyer himself somewhere between Prospero and a Las Vegas magician. It is perfectly poised and his continued presence throughout emphasises his control over the fantasy and the conjurations.'
Financial Times
Clement Crisp
November 23rd, 2016
'Here, audiences can rejoice, is an honourable, endearing Nutcracker, secure in its prodigious score, blessed with a proper sense of history in design as in style, and offering characterisations truthful and truthfully danced — not least from Alexander Campbell as a Nutcracker impeccable in step and drama, from Francesca Hayward as a charming Clara, and from Gary Avis as a commanding Drosselmeyer.'
The Operatunist.wordpress.com
December 27th, 2015
'And then there is Gary Avis. Does a more perfect Drosselmeyer walk the stage anywhere on the globe?
Glitter suits him, tricks were fun, but above all he gives us the magic, the poise, the glint in the eye that tells us that magic is afoot. And in his hug for Nephew at the end, beautiful munificence.
Give the man an Honour.'
The Independent
Zoe Anderson
December 20th, 2015
'As Drosselmeyer, Gary Avis commands the action, his gestures beautifully weighted.'
The Sunday Times
David Dougill
December 20th, 2015
'Gary Avis was a Drosselmeyer of benign authority, with soulful undercurrents.'
The Financial Times
Clement Crisp
December 16, 2015
'Gary Avis a superb Drosselmeyer; Francesca Hayward a charming Clara; and Alexander Campbell a fine and dashing Nutcracker.'
The Guardian
Judith Mackrell
December 15th, 2015
'Gary Avis is a debonair, devilish Drosselmeyer.'
Evening Standard
Lyndsey Winship
December 14, 2015
'Wright’s key feature, and the glue holding everything together, is Drosselmeyer (the excellent Gary Avis), who in this telling is a magician with lots of actual tricks up his sleeve. He conjures all manner of fantastical characters that keep the first act a box of constant delights: harlequins, toy soldiers, lions, a gaggle of mice and some gorgeous gilded angels.'
TheArtsDesk.com
Hanna Weibye
December 10, 2015
'But even the best story is nothing if not told well, and the dancers of the Royal Ballet do it marvellously. Tall Gary Avis as Drosselmeyer is your favourite friendly-mysterious uncle (a touch of the Peter Capaldi about him.'
ayoungertheatre.com
Manuel Muñoz
December 10, 2015
'The action is, of course, led by classy magician Drosselmeyer, expertly and cape-swirlingly played by Gary Avis.'
BalletCoForum.com
Jenny Taylor
December 10, 2015
'Dream cast - Gary Avis (I put him first deliberately), Alexander Campbell and Francesca Hayward, Steven McRae and Iana Salenko. Brilliant all round in very different ways. Gary Avis - what can one say. He held the stage, with his cape swishes and multiple glitter scatterings. I was in Christmas heaven. I think he set the scene for the rest of the cast. Dream pairings for the other principal roles, beautifully executed dancing and blissful ambience. Never have I waxed so lyrical about a Nutcracker.'
Bachtrack.com
Mark Pullinger
December 9, 2015
'Midnight chimes. A sinister bass clarinet throbs, a harp glints and the strings begin their ascent. Gary Avis’ debonair Drosselmeyer flings glitter to the heavens and the Christmas tree magically grows. This can only mean one thing: The Royal Ballet’s Nutcracker is back. Christmas has truly arrived and Tchaikovsky’s ballet continues to delight young and old with its festive magic, light dusting of snow and its chocolate-box score. Drosselmeyer plays a much more significant role in Wright’s version, escorting Clara and the Nutcracker to the Kingdom of Sweets (cleverly modelled on the cake he presents at the Stahlbaums’ Christmas party) and acting as Master of Ceremonies. Gary Avis plays him with avuncular, cape-twirling grace – everyone’s favourite uncle.'
BalletCoForum.com
Nina G
December 10, 2015
'Of course we couldn't do without "our" marvellous Gary Avis! Very tempted to see this cast once more.'
The Stage
Neil Norman
December 9, 2015
'Gary Avis swirls his turquoise cloak in style as Drosselmeyer, the magician and manipulator of the action,'
The Times
Donald Hutera
December 9, 2015
'Gary Avis dashes about in a rippling aqua cape, played the actual part with a wonderful sleight-of-hand flourish.'
Dancetabs.com
Jann Parry
December 9, 2015
'The magician who brings all this about is the central character of Drosselmeyer – Gary Avis on the opening night of this revival. Drosselmeyer used to be rather a sinister figure, with a black patch over one eye. Now he’s a benign, glamorous master-of-ceremonies who brings a sparkle of gold dust to everything he touches.'
Londondance.com
Graham Watts
December 9, 2015
'Wright places the magician, Drosselmeyer, as the central cog to all the action and Gary Avis brings gravitas with a flourish to this vital character who is largely ever-present from the opening prologue to the closing scene: a master of ceremony, an accomplished magician, an inventor but – above all – an uncle desperate to free his nephew from the Mouse King’s spell.'
Pasdeblog.com
Morgan
December 9, 2015
'Gary Avis’s definitive Drosselmeyer is the thread that connects the whole story as he acts as a guide for both Clara and the audience.'
Dance Europe
Diarmaid O'Meara
January 2014
'Gary Avis's Drosselmeyer is a treat, he's a veteran of the role and takes full advantage of every musical highlight to swish his blue cape or throw a handful of glitter.'
The Sunday Times
David Dougill
December 22, 2013
'Sir Peter Wright makes the magician Drosselmeyer the main character which gives the plot more logical cohesion than in some other versions. Drosselmeyer is a man with a mission: to free his nephew Hans-Peter from the spell that has transformed him into the Nutcracker Doll. Gary Avis plays him with dash, dignity and a sense of yearning. He masterminds all the fantastic happenings in the ballet, including the battle of the mice and toy soldiers, and the journey to the Land of Snow and Kingdom of Sweets.'
Carrie Seidman
arts.heraldtribune.com
December 18, 2013
'Avis, who now largely dances character roles, has claimed this non-dancing one as his own, with wonderful facial expressions and swirlings of his billowing cape.'
Row B Seat 87 (Blog)
December 12, 2013
'If there was, however, a single genuinely spectacular performance this evening, it was Gary Avis's Drosselmeyer. This is a character role, but a pretty active one, and something of a binding figure throughout. Avis was outstanding, vibrant, forceful, compellingly intense, giving a keen sense of the urgency of his longing to see his nephew delivered from the spell, and his joy at achieving his goal. He swirled around the stage in his turquoise and gold cloak, surging forward and dropping back with faultless timing, striking a lovely balance between the genuine magician who sets things in motion, and the simple party illusionist he pretends to be for his social circle in the first act. This was a truly magical Drosselmeyer such as I have rarely seen, and it lifted the whole proceedings to a new level.'
The Guardian
Judith Mackrell
December 9, 2013
'But Gary Avis's Dr Stahlbaum comes with an intriguingly implied backstory (former military, a bit of a ladies' man), and I like Meaghan Grace Hinkis' fresh, unmannered Clara.'
The Metro
Siobhan Murphy
December 9, 2013
'Peter Wright’s production has been tweaked over the years and now there’s a surprisingly coherent storyline running through, with Clara’s adventures presented as an attempt by toymaker/magician Herr Drosselmeyer to save his nephew.
Gary Avis brings authority and the requisite touch of melancholy to the role of Drosselmeyer, acting as a lurking ringmaster, conducting events: he also proves a dab hand at magic tricks during the opening Christmas party at Clara’s house.'
BalletCoForum
Simon B Fisher
December 6, 2013
'Where would we be without Mr Avis - he really is a fantastic actor-dancer and he was, for me, quite the star of the show.'
LondonDance.com
Graham Watts
December 6, 2013
'Another reason for the success of this production is the coherence brought to it by the central figure of Drosselmeyer. His plot to use the love of the Stahlbaum’s young daughter, his god-daughter Clara, to save his nephew Hans-Peter from imprisonment in the Nutcracker doll is what gives the tale its momentum and takes Clara and Hans-Peter on their magical mystery tour to the Kingdoms of Snow and Sweets. Gary Avis has made this role his own in recent years, a commanding presence with his swishing cloak, enveloping clouds of glitter and sundry other magical tricks; Avis injects clarity and purpose into every carefully-nuanced action and I can think of very few other essentially non-dancing roles that are so dominant than the part of Drosselmeyer (in Peter Wright’s production) when given such conviction by this consummate character artist.'
Daily Express
Neil Norman
December 6, 2013
'By rerouting the character of magician/toymaker Drosselmeyer into the story’s controlling influence, the two disparate halves are yoked together in a satisfactory narrative arc. It becomes his journey as he attempts to unweave the spell that has trapped his son Hans-Peter in the body of the nutcracker.
It also gives the great character dancer Gary Avis a proper role as he appears in almost every significant scene as a master puppeteer of the action.'
The Independent
Zoe Anderson
December 5, 2013
'Gary Avis gives the magician Drosselmeyer a touch of melancholy alongside the panache.'
Evening Standard
Liz Hoggard
December 5, 2013
'But the masterstroke of Peter Wright’s production is to make magician Herr Drosselmeyer the main character — a manipulative master of ceremonies with a whiff of Simon Cowell. To save his nephew who has been transformed into a nutcracker doll, he persuades his god-daughter, Clara, to leave her family on Christmas Eve and journey into a world of fantasy. It gives the ballet coherence and makes for genuinely gripping theatre rather than just a sugar-coated 19th-century fable. As Clara, Francesca Hayward is all febrile limbs and burgeoning sexuality. The Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince are the rock stars of the production. But it’s Gary Avis’s Drosselmeyer who dominates the stage, a master judge in his own talent show.'
Arts Desk
Hannah Weibye
December 4, 2013
'In his story treatment, Wright eschews any Freudian flights of fancy and gives the original scenario one simple but effective twist: making Drosselmeyer, gifter of the Nutcracker doll, into an urbane, talented magician who sets up the whole Clara/Nutcracker encounter because his beloved nephew has been imprisoned in the wooden toy. This allows Gary Avis to sweep magnificently around the stage all evening, organising the action and providing an important element of continuity across the potentially profound disjuncture between the two Acts, but more importantly, it makes the potentially creepy Drosselmeyer into a sympathetic character. In fact, one of the most touching moments of the whole ballet is when the powerful conjuror tenderly ties a scarf around the neck of a doll. Gary Avis, an experienced character dancer, is a known quantity....'
The Sunday Times
David Dougill
December 16, 2012
'In the opening cast, Gary Avis is a master of the role of Drosselmeyer, conveying mystery, authority, joviality and potent yearning for the spell that transformed his nephew Hans-Peter into the Nutcracker doll to be broken.'
The Financial Times
Clement Crisp
December 16, 2012
'Gary Avis as Drosselmeyer established a mood of benevolent mystery, so vital to the drama, and Sir Peter Wright has evoked a world in which we believe.'
The Sunday Telegraph
Louise Levene
December 16, 2012
'Gary Avis's Drosselmeyer spun the plot with wit and verve.'
The Independent
Zoë Anderson
December 10, 2012
'Gary Avis makes a thoughtful Drosselmeyer, avoiding the camp that can come with this expanded role, and showing a sense of wonder as he conjures up the growing tree or the Land of Sweets.'
The Londonist
Laurad
December 11, 2012
'There are numerous dancers who shine, but it is Gary Avis' sparklingDrosselmeyer that carries the story and gives the show its fabulous festive magic. Meaghan ...'
The Stage
Katie Columbus
December 10, 2012
'Drosselmeyer (Gary Avis) directs the action with clever tricks and a commanding presence on a sumptuous Victorian stage.'
TheArtsDesk.com
Matthew Paluch
December 10, 2012
'The most individual of all is Herr Drosselmeyer (Gary Avis), godfather to young Clara Stahlbaum (Meaghan Grace Hinkis) who becomes the protagonist that takes the audience from Victorian period Europe to a distant, magical kingdom.'
MarkRonan.wordpress.com
Mark Ronan
December 11, 2012
'At the start of this Peter Wright production, we see Drosselmeyer in his workshop ... underlying everything including the adult dances, and Gary Avis as the father...'
The Financial Times
Clement Crisp
December 9, 2011
'...and Gary Avis is a superlative Drosselmeyer, guiding the narrative.'
LondonDance.com
Graham Watts
December 9, 2012
'No other artist brings the magic and the power to Drosselmeyer as does the peerless Gary Avis and he is the pivotal reason for this show’s success. Avis performs conjuring tricks with the skill and dexterity of the late and much-lamented Ali Bongo. But his greatest magic is to convince us that he alone is responsible for the magical transformation of the Stahlbaum Living Room as its giant Christmas tree grows under his powerful spell to the memorable, panoramic music of Tchaikovsky. Avis has an almighty stage presence that never fails to give his characters an impressive, dynamic weight. At this stage of a brilliant career, Avis as Drosselmeyer in Wright’s production of The Nutcracker is a match made if not in heaven, then certainly in the Kingdom of the Sweets.'
The British Theatre Guide
Vera Liber
December, 2011
'Drosselmeyer, clockmaker and inventor but also Clara’s godfather, is seen in his modest workshop home, preparing special treats for the Stahlbaum household and worrying about his bewitched nephew Hans-Peter trapped in the Nutcracker’s wooden body.
Then he is amongst them, a larger than life figure, shaking magic dust from his hat, performing magic tricks—making marionettes dance, a boy fly and time stand still. Gary Avis, splendid character actor/dancer towering over them all, is made for the role. Sweeping cloak, grand gestures, but reassuringly warm.'
The Tyro Theatre Critic
Robert Walport
January 12, 2012
'For all that is good about this production it wasn't given the strongest of outings at this performance. With Gary Avis as Drosselmeyer the ballet's heart was assured, Avis is second to none in character roles.'
The Independent
Zoë Anderson
December 5, 2011
'By the second act, everything had moved up several gears, with starry casting in the divertissement dances and brighter playing from the orchestra. Melissa Hamilton floats through the Arabian dance, partnered strongly by Gary Avis.'
The Financial Times
Clement Crisp
January, 2009
'Gary Avis as Drosselmeyer was a marvel of vivid, musically exact and commanding gesture and dramatic presence.'
The Sunday Times
David Dougill
December 28, 2008
'As Herr Drosselmeyer, the magician-mastermind of the story, Gary Avis is an impressive controller, strong on bonhomie'
Jeffery Taylor
December 2008
'Gary Avis is a refreshingly robust Drosselmayer who governs the fantasy'
The Independent
Zoë Anderson
December 18, 2008
'Peter Wright's 1984 production got fussier when he revised it in 1999, expanding the role of the magician Drosselmeyer. This is less of a problem when the role is played by Gary Avis. He's a beautifully understated magician, impressive but unbending, his emotions held in.'
The Times
Debra Craine
December 17, 2008
'Gary Avis makes for an especially affecting Herr Drosselmeyer, bringing the story to life with his wily tricks and passionate orchestration of Clara's fantastical journey to the Land of Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets.'
The Telegraph
Mark Monahan
December 17, 2008
'Gariy Avis (as ever) a cracking and entertainingly smug Drosselmeyer.'
The Guardian
Judith Mackrell
December 17, 2008
'Yet when you get Gary Avis as Drosselmeyer, straining every sinew to command the deep magic that will rescue Hans-Peter from his curse, you not only catch echoes of the more sinister Hoffmann tale on which the ballet is based - you also get a much bigger thrill from the visual dazzle of the stage effects.'
Ballet.co
Jane Simpson
December 2008
London, Covent Garden
'Herr Drosselmeyer now has so much to do that he's become almost the star of the evening, helped by the amazing amount of detail Gary Avis puts into his characterisation.'
The Sunday Times
David Dougill
December 24, 2006
'First off, Gary Avis was stylish and authoritative as Herr Drosselmeyer, the fantasy’s linchpin; Iohna Loots is sweet and fleet as Clara; and Ricardo Cervera tugs at the heartstrings with the ardour of Hans-Peter, released from the Nutcracker spell by Clara’s devotion.'
The Observer
Luke Jennings
December 17, 2006
'The production is made or broken by the quality of its Drosselmeyer, the magician who animates Clara's journey, and Gary Avis does not let us down. Avis was one of the sextet of male dancers who left the Royal Ballet in the dark days of 1999, when the Opera House was closed. His travels took him to Japan and elsewhere, and when he returned to the Royal in 2004 it was with a renewed sense of imaginative purpose. Today, his authority in character roles is absolute, and as Drosselmeyer he allows us to glimpse the calculation behind the genial exterior. This is no kindly uncle but a cosmic manipulator with an agenda of his own.'
[Close]
