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SPOTLIGHT: Cape Ballet Africa presented THE NUTCRACKER has the Michael Mitchell design touch
- Beverley Brommert
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Beverley Brommert
An interview with highly acclaimed set designer Michael Mitchell is like an odyssey through time and space, as this unassuming doyen of stagecraft shares memories and milestones spread over nearly half a century.
From the vibrant cultural calendar of what was once known as Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, through the palmy days of work for performing arts boards like Capab, followed by multiple challenges with funding and facilities after their abolition, to the present day of renewed energy with sponsorship both private and public, Mitchell reviews a life of endeavour and creativity in the service of various art forms, notably ballet and opera.
His artistic horizon has broadened from the Cape province to include most international venues of note from London and Washington to Tel Aviv and China, where his design for GISELLE will be showcased in May 2026.
Among current productions benefitting from his extensive experience is Cape Ballet Africa's fresh new take on THE NUTCRACKER, set to charm audiences in the Mother City later this month after a sold-out season in Gauteng at Christmas last year. More of which shortly.
How did Mitchell come to a career of such note?
He suspects it all began with the impact made on his young mind by a production of Annie Get Your Gun at the Port Elizabeth Opera House, when he saw a set designed by the iconic Peter Cazalet (in which there was a real camp fire in an Indian reservation).
Little did he realise then that the great man was to become his mentor in stage design, that they would share a studio and collaborate decades later and that, after Cazalet's semi-retirement, the mantle of his art would descend on his, Mitchell's shoulders to result in re-creating sets for ballets like GISELLE, CARMEN, THE SLEEPING BEAUTY, THE NUTCRACKER, and SWAN LAKE. Not to mention operas and musicals.
All of these have had their share of the Mitchell touch, and he admits to enjoying their respective challenges equally, for different reasons.
"Ballet came first, when I designed with Dudley Tomlinson for UCT Youth Ballet and toured to the Eastern Cape as well as South West Africa (now Namibia). I soon found a preference for larger stages, a bigger space that gives more scope for the imagination and freedom of movement in choreography."
As for opera, his eyes light up when he says simply, "I love the music!"
When invited by Professor Angelo Gobbato to join Cape Town Opera, he was more than happy to accept, and among his triumphs was the radiant set for MADAME BUTTERFLY, which to this day stands out as one his personal favourites.
At present, though, it is ballet which predominates, and ahead of THE NUTCRACKER's Cape Town run this month, Mitchell is quite relaxed as most of the work was already done for its Johannesburg season. There are some changes - for instance, the greatly respected Patrick Curtis will see to the lighting design as Wilhelm Disbergen (responsible for the earlier production) is no longer available.
Mitchell makes it clear that while all the much loved, traditional elements have been retained, there are some new inclusions to evoke the Christmas spirit, such as a snow scene complete with snowball fight glimpsed in Act One before the party, or two fireplaces in the parlour designed to afford the rats
an impressive entry.
As one who values tradition, Mitchell is pleased to note that "everything in this new NUTCRACKER is painted in accordance with long established techniques; we've used dye, not acrylic, as these sets are meant to last - acrylic cracks as it ages."
He does not deny the potential of modern technology to promote the visual impact of a production, but prefers to envisage a balance struck between elements old and new that complement each other to good effect.
On the subject of a THE NUTCRACKER not coinciding with the festive season, he comments, "This is a ballet which delivers on every level, and will attract audiences at any time of year: the magic, mystery, and music make it a crowd pleaser, so if well done, it can only succeed. Furthermore, the choreography by Maina Gielgud and excellence of the corps will delight ballet purists."
Given the impressive number of productions to which Mitchell has contributed his creative skills, this is no small recommendation for ballet lovers to visit an imaginatively packaged THE NUTCRACKER at the Artscape Theatre from 25 February to 1 March 2026. Tickets can be booked online through Webtickets.