The Nutcracker - Tchaikovsky's Complete Ballet Music

The Reading Symphony Orchestra are taking The Nutcracker to the Reading Concert Hall on Saturday 28 November, and they're playing the complete ballet music. If you've only ever heard the most famous bits — the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy or the Russian Dance — this is your chance to hear the whole thing from start to finish, rather than just the highlights. It's Tchaikovsky's full score, played through as a single piece.

Most of us know The Nutcracker as a Christmas staple, and that's exactly where this fits. The orchestra is billing it as part of a festive programme, so it's a proper late-November night out, just as the town starts turning towards December. It's the kind of thing that works well as a family outing, but it's just as easy to go on your own if you're into the music itself.

The concert is at the Reading Concert Hall, inside the Town Hall on Blagrave Street, right in the centre of town. It's a well-known spot for classical music in Reading, so it's easy to find and easy to get to. The performance starts at 7:30pm on Saturday 28 November, so you've got the whole evening ahead of you.