The choice
Swan Lake or The Nutcracker in Prague?
Swan Lake or The Nutcracker at the same Prague theatre: the stories, the length, the season, who each suits and how the two booking pages compare.
Book Swan Lake in Prague ↗Quick answer
Choose Swan Lake for the romantic, tragic story and Tchaikovsky's best-known ballet score. Choose The Nutcracker if children are coming, if it is December or if you want a lighter fairy tale. At the same Broadway Theatre both run 105 minutes with a 15-minute interval and both carry a 3.9 rating on the booking pages, so the story and the season should decide, not the format.
The short answer
Both evenings are by Tchaikovsky, in the Broadway Theatre on Na Příkopě, and both are billed on their booking pages with the same running time and the same rating. The difference is the story. Swan Lake is a tale of enchantment and betrayal that ends in sacrifice. The Nutcracker is a Christmas Eve story seen through a child's eyes. Neither evening is billed as complete, since Swan Lake is a selection of scenes and The Nutcracker is described as popular scenes, so the real question is which story you would rather meet. If you cannot decide, the person who most needs to enjoy the evening should choose: children and Christmas travellers lean to The Nutcracker, adults on a romantic night out lean to Swan Lake.
Two booking pages, one format
Each page gives 105 minutes including a 15-minute interval, no dress code although elegant dress is welcomed, a cloakroom, children under 3 as not suitable, wheelchair access, and no flash photography or video recording. Each carries a rating of 3.9 out of 5: Swan Lake from more than 2,100 reviews, The Nutcracker from more than 550. The Swan Lake page also lists booster seats for children, while the Nutcracker page lists an admission ticket and a cloakroom. Neither is billed as a complete staging: Swan Lake is a selection of scenes, and The Nutcracker is described as popular scenes.
The stories compared
Wikipedia summarises Swan Lake as the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by a sorcerer, and of Prince Siegfried, whose mistaken oath to the wrong woman dooms them both. The Nutcracker, an 1892 two-act ballet, is set on Christmas Eve around a Christmas tree in a child's imagination. A girl, Clara, is given a nutcracker doll, and in the dream that follows, gingerbread and tin soldiers fight an army of mice led by their king, and she is taken to a celebration of sweets from around the world. Wikipedia says the pair leave the Land of Sweets at the end in a reindeer-drawn sleigh.
Read next: Swan Lake, act by act
The music
Wikipedia says Tchaikovsky composed Swan Lake in 1875 and 1876, and that the score of The Nutcracker is noted for its use of the celesta. Tchaikovsky had already premiered a 20-minute Nutcracker Suite nine months before the ballet, and the suite is the part many people know. Wikipedia says Tchaikovsky admired the recurring-theme technique of Adam's Giselle and used it in Swan Lake. Wikipedia also notes that a dance in the second act of Swan Lake later became the famous Dance of the Little Swans. If you know only one of the two, you probably know the swans' theme or the Nutcracker Suite, and either can be the reason to choose.
Season and age
Wikipedia says The Nutcracker has become seasonal entertainment in many countries, because the story is set at Christmas. The booking calendar for your dates is the only reliable guide to when it is staged in Prague. Swan Lake has no season. For age, both pages list children under 3 as not suitable. Swan Lake ends in loss, which some parents prefer to avoid with younger children, and The Nutcracker puts children at the centre of the story.
What reviewers say
Swan Lake reviewers praise the expressive lead performance, while a summary on the booking page says some wanted clearer information about the modest venue and the recorded music. On The Nutcracker page, one reviewer from Australia calls it a great production in a moderate theatre, says VIP seats cost little extra for a view of faces and movement, and booked Swan Lake for the next night. A first-time ballet-goer from the United Kingdom calls the evening wonderful. The two ratings are the same, and so is the pattern of praise and caveats.
Who made them
Both ballets are tied to the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg. Wikipedia says The Nutcracker had its first performance on 18 December 1892 in a double bill with Tchaikovsky's last opera, Iolanta, and that Marius Petipa was its first choreographer, assisted by Lev Ivanov. The Swan Lake that most companies use dates from the 1895 revival by Petipa and Ivanov at the same theatre, after a first production in Moscow in 1877. The Nutcracker booking page credits the direction and choreography of its evening to Monika and Alexander Kysil, after a draft by Petipa.
Seeing both
The theatre, the length and the interval are the same, so two nights are easy to plan. The reviewer who booked Swan Lake the evening after The Nutcracker is the proof. If you only have one night, give it to the story that matches your party. If you have two nights, book them on separate dates and read the booking calendar for each, because the programme on either page is subject to change and not every date carries both titles. Doing both in one trip also lets you compare the two Tchaikovsky scores in the same room, which is rarely possible on a short stay.
Who each suits
Swan Lake suits adults, couples and teenagers who like a story with weight, and anyone who has always wanted to see the white swans. The Nutcracker suits families with children, December visitors and travellers who want a lighter evening, since the story is a child's Christmas dream with a celebration of sweets at its centre. Both suit someone who wants one ballet in an Old Town theatre without giving up a whole evening, and both are short enough to be followed by a late dinner on the nearby streets. Both ask you to accept a modest theatre and a highlights format, which the reviews on each page say plainly.
Who this isn't for
A complete staging with a full company and the whole score is not what either page sells. If you want a historic opera house, this is a modern theatre built from a cinema, and a summary of reviews on the Swan Lake page says some travellers wanted clearer information about the modest venue. If a particular ballet matters more than the date, check the booking calendar first, because the page says the programme is subject to change. The National Theatre's ballet, which performs in its own stages, is the place to look for a full-length Swan Lake or Nutcracker.
How to book
Choose the title, then the date and a seat. Reviewers of both ballets mention VIP seats for a nearer view. Nothing is charged for cancelling more than a day ahead, and payment can be postponed. The live price is on the booking page in your currency, which is why this guide prints none. The first guide on this site covers Swan Lake in detail, and the practical guide covers seats, children and what to wear for either evening.
Read next: Best of Swan Lake in Prague: worth it?
Frequently asked questions
Swan Lake or The Nutcracker in Prague, which is better?
Neither is better; they suit different parties. Choose Swan Lake for a romantic, tragic story, and The Nutcracker for children, December visits or a lighter fairy tale. Both run 105 minutes at the same theatre.
Are both at the same theatre?
Yes. Both booking pages place the evening in the Broadway Theatre on Na Příkopě, with a 105-minute running time including a 15-minute interval.
Which is better for children?
The Nutcracker puts a child at the centre of a Christmas story. Both pages list children under 3 as not suitable, and the Swan Lake page includes booster seats for children.
Is either a full-length ballet?
Neither is billed that way. Swan Lake tells the whole story in a selection of scenes, and The Nutcracker is described as popular scenes.
Can I see both?
Yes, on two different dates. One reviewer on The Nutcracker page booked Swan Lake for the next night.
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