The Nutcracker, Royal Opera House, London

This just isn't good enough. The Royal Ballet Nutcracker is neither fish nor fowl, a half-revised version with trailing threads. But that's no excuse for such a sluggish first performance.

Peter Wright's production was created in 1984 as an attempt to return to the ballet's sources. Revising it in 1999, Wright added details from his Birmingham Royal Ballet version. The magician Drosselmeyer becomes the ballet's leading character. He elbows his way to the centre of most scenes, upstaging the Sugar Plum Fairy in her own kingdom.

Wright's additions are unmusical and dramatically confused, and the first performance of this revival was worryingly dull, with lethargic dance scenes and mime roles that range from exaggeration to blankness. Conducted by Pavel Sorokin, even Tchaikovsky's irresistible score sounded listless.

The opening party never becomes festive. Children and adults mill around, going through the motions without pace or focus. There is no wonder to Drosselmeyer's conjuring tricks. Mark Henderson's lighting is dimmed, so that, with the drawing room in gloom, all you can see is the strings.

Alastair Marriot is hamminess incarnate as Drosselmeyer, going right over the top into brow-clutching awfulness. He crashes through the second act divertissement, both officious and ineffectual. The young heroine, Clara, is a tricky part: an adult playing a child. Gemma Bond dances neatly, but looks much too sophisticated to be playing with dolls. As the Nutcracker, Zachary Faruque has a touching innocence, caught up in the world around him.

Alexandra Ansanelli as the Sugar Plum Fairy has long-legged energy and attack. But she lacks spontaneity, and her musical response is merely dutiful. As her cavalier, Valeri Hristov partners cleanly, but tends to break dance up into sections, losing momentum. Most of the divertissement dances were lacklustre.

A few dancers do stand out against the blandness. Steven McRae bounds through as a dancing soldier doll. And Eric Underwood makes a vivid impression as a stern father, collecting his son at the end of the party.

To 19 January (020-7304 4000)