We are delighted to reveal the cast for this year’s family production of The Nutcracker – a festive adventure filled with music, magic, and heart.
As the clock strikes midnight, Clara’s cherished Nutcracker doll springs to life, sweeping her into a fantastical world where mystery lurks in the shadows. Together with her Aunt Rowena and the dazzling Sugar Plum Fairy, Clara must face the sinister Evil Rat Queen, whose darkness threatens to drain the magic from the Land of the Sugar Plum Fairy.
With captivating live music inspired by traditional English folk melodies and echoes of Tchaikovsky’s timeless score, The Nutcracker celebrates bravery, friendship, and the bonds of family – making it the perfect story to share with loved ones this festive season.
Produced by Taunton Brewhouse, the production runs from Tue 2 – Sun 28 December.
THE CAST
Nell Baker – Clara
Nell Baker takes on the role of Clara. A graduate of the Oxford School of Drama, Nell’s theatre credits include Wolf Country (John Godber Company), The Deep Blue Sea (West End), The Borrowers and Ladies Unleashed (Hull Truck Theatre). She has also performed in The Regalettes (Badapple Theatre Company), Nearly The Goat and All’s Well That Ends Well (Riding Lights Theatre Company), Snow (Theatre Chipping Norton), Shudder (Soho Theatre), and Our Town (North Wall Arts Centre). Her screen work includes The Count of Monte Cristo (UKTV) and My Dad’s Christmas Date (Amazon Prime).
Tomas Baines – Frank / The Nutcracker
Tomas Baines will play Frank/The Nutcracker. Originally from Taunton, Tomas is an actor-musician and guitarist who trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, graduating with a first-class honours degree. His credits there include Machinal, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Peter Pan.
A former Drama Scholar at King’s College, Taunton, Tomas is thrilled to return to his hometown for The Nutcracker and would like to thank his family, friends, and teachers for their constant encouragement and support. Alongside acting, Tomas is a guitarist and enjoys working on projects that bring live music into storytelling.
Elizabeth Marsh – Lady Euwella / The Rat Queen
Elizabeth Marsh joins the company as Lady Euwella/The Rat Queen. Elizabeth’s extensive career spans stage and screen, with performances at the National Theatre, in the West End, and on tour across the UK. Some of her favourite roles include Klytaimestra in Elektra, Fay in Iron, Mme Giry in Phantom of the Opera, and the Marquise de Merteuil in Les Liaisons Dangereuses. On screen, she has appeared in Vera (ITV), The Chelsea Detective (Amazon Prime), EastEnders, Casualty (BBC), and Coronation Street (ITV).
Rhiannon Neads – Aunt Rowena / The Sugar Plum Fairy
Rhiannon Neads appears as Aunt Rowena/The Sugar Plum Fairy. Rhiannon is a Somerset-born writer and performer who trained at LAMDA. Her theatre credits include Autobiography of a Cad (The Watermill Theatre), Supernova (Omnibus Theatre), and All Lies (Alan Ayckbourn Company). Her television and film appearances include Call The Midwife, Blitz with Lucy Worsley, Father Brown, Doctors (BBC) and Downton Abbey (ITV).
As one half of the award-winning musical comedy duo Stiff & Kitsch, Rhiannon has also co-written and performed in Adele Is Younger Than Us (Pleasance, Edinburgh) and Bricking It (Soho Theatre).
Dan Wheeler – Lord Henry / Thistlebane
Dan Wheeler completes the principal cast as Lord Henry/Thistlebane. A LAMDA graduate based in Bristol, Dan’s theatre credits include Robin Hood and The Scarlet Pimpernel (The Egg), Our Country’s Good and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Tobacco Factory Theatres), Rumpelstiltskin (Insane Root), Peter Pan (National Theatre), Alice’s Adventures Underground (Les Enfants Terribles), Losing Venice (Orange Tree Theatre), Wendy & Peter (RSC), and multiple tours with Ed Hall’s Propeller Theatre Company. His television work includes Poldark (BBC) and Flack (Hat Trick Productions), and he is a founding member of the multi award–winning horror roleplaying podcast The Apocalypse Players.
The professional cast will be joined by a talented 10-strong Youth Ensemble, showcasing some of the county’s most promising young performers. The Youth Ensemble is proudly sponsored by Taunton School, whose support helps nurture the next generation of creative talent in Somerset.
THE CREATIVES
This year’s production will be brought to life by a celebrated creative team.
Director Sasha Wilson, Artistic Director of the multi-award-winning Out Of The Forest Theatre, returns to Taunton Brewhouse following her performance as the Ghost of Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol (2023). A LAMDA-trained actor-musician, writer, and director, Sasha’s work is known for its inventive storytelling and live folk music influences. She has twice won the Off West End Award for Best Ensemble – for Bury The Hatchet (2019) and Boris III (2024).
Musical Director and Composer Callum Patrick Hughes trained at Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance, Stephen F Austin State University, Texas, and Goldsmith’s University of London. He has an impressive career spanning acting, composition, and musical direction, including work on Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, The Great Gatsby, and Treasure Island. He has also composed music for The Little Mermaid and Cinderella.
Designer Tomasin Cuthbert, Artistic Director of Soap Soup Arts, brings her imaginative, cross-generational theatre design to the production, with credits at The Bristol Old Vic, Tobacco Factory Theatres, and The Little Angel Theatre. She has trained at Falmouth University, the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and Nottingham Trent University, and with Soap Soup, has made and designed 10 family shows – some of which have been performed at Taunton Brewhouse.
Lighting Designer Charly Dunford, a graduate of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and recipient of the 2022 ALPD Michael Northern Award, has designed for leading venues across the UK, including Shakespeare North Playhouse, the Watermill Theatre, and Northern Stage. Her credits include Fleabag (Sherman Theatre), What’s New Pussycat (Birmingham Rep), Kinky Boots (Chester Storyhouse), and War Horse (UK Tour).
Youth Ensemble Direction will be by Sarah Shorten, Artistic Director of Porlock-based Stacked Wonky, an award-winning village-based arts organisation with a history of making site-specific performance integrating dancers of all ages. With an archive of performances that have ventured to London department stores, the coastal hinterland between Blue Anchor and Minehead, and unassuming fields, she is ready for a theatre-based adventure.
Book Tickets
The Nutcracker runs from Tue 2 – Sun 28 December. To book tickets, please click here.
Families can save 10% on tickets when booking before Thursday 31 October. For more information, click here or contact the Box Office on 01823 283244.
