Interview: Woodland wonder and mice in pyjamas – making magic happen in Deptford

Chris Elwell talks creative ideas and partnerships with Nancy Hirst of Icon Theatre

The Snow Queen – A Woodland Adventure reimagines a classic fairy tale at The Albany Theatre this Christmas season. We caught-up with Nancy Hirst of Chatham-based Icon Theatre to find out a little bit about what was behind creatives choices in making the show, and what has been happening in the rehearsal room to get it ready for audiences to enjoy this festive season.

Great to have a chance to chat with you Nancy. The Christmas children’s show at Deptford’s Albany is always a real treat for audiences. Can you start by giving an insight into what the creative catalyst was that brought Icon and the venue together to continue that tradition this year?

Icon have been making Christmas shows for early years audiences for over a decade at our home theatre venue, The Brook Theatre in Chatham, Medway. The Brook Theatre is a beautiful Grade 1 listed building which has been in need of a little love for quite a while, so in 2023 it received a major capital grant and closed for a significant refurbishment – it’s due to open again in 2027. Icon then sadly didn’t have our regular home to perform in. We started to look around and heard that the Albany were looking for something for their Christmas show 2025, so  we approached them and suggested we could work together.

From the first conversation, it was clear that both companies have a very similar approach and ethos to making work for young audiences – both in the feel and style of the end product and, importantly, in the process of making it. If the rehearsal and the process of making isn’t inclusive, warm, joyful and collaborative, it’s very unlikely that the end show will feel that way to audiences. But with the Albany, we knew we were working with a venue who really understood and actively lived those values. From then on, it’s been pretty plain sailing on this journey that has become The Snow Queen.

Can you tell us a little about what you have been doing during the development and rehearsal phases for the show?

Good question. We’ve been very lucky on this show to have kickstarted the process with two really fruitful weeks of R & D earlier in the year, and then followed that with a full three weeks of rehearsal leading up to the show opening.

As a writer, I really feel the best dialogue on stage comes not just from a great script, but from the ability to flex and change the writing to really sit naturally in the body of the actor who is delivering those lines – using the beats and rhythms of how they normally speak to bring the words to life. We cast the show about a year in advance, so we could develop the script in the R&D phase with the actual performers who were going to be playing the characters. And I think that really shows in the energy and fun present in the production we have created, and the tangible enjoyment from the cast (Eve Pereira, Freya Stephenson, Henry Regan) in performing it. Plus, they’re absolutely amazing performers which obviously brings its own joy, both as a director and in turn for audiences. Of course, once the script is fully developed and rehearsals ‘proper’ start in the run up to the opening of the show, the process changes slightly and becomes more about solidifying choices and strengthening characters and messaging.

One thing I’ve really enjoyed in this rehearsal process is watching our extraordinary movement director, Maria Ghoumrassi, working with the actors, particularly exploring the wonderful animal worlds of our characters. She has taken them on a journey that started with fully uninhibited animal movements and sounds, then developed and refined to develop much more human characters that still retain distinctly animal characteristics, movements and features – it’s been a delight.

Your work is always full of energy and has a real sense of audience engagement – can I use the word ‘participation’? Can you give us a flavour of what to expect?

The words ‘audience participation’ always brings to mind a song sheet unscrolling towards the end of a panto, or a slightly awkward invitation to some embarrassed audience members to come up on stage. But with this early years age focus, as The Snow Queen is aimed at ages 3-8, I think audience participation is essential.

This age group don’t sit down, keep still and watch for an hour – they want to move, taste, make sounds and explore the world in a very kinaesthetic, physical way. My view is that if you want them to really engage in a theatre show, it’s got to offer them opportunities throughout to explore and feel the world of the play through all their senses. So, from the very start, we establish that the young audience members are friends of our heroine Gerda, and throughout the show, she asks them their thoughts and suggestions, responding to their reactions.

The story is essentially a quest adventure, and throughout it the audience’s involvement in songs, dances, games or other activities is essential to the plot of the storyline. The music that our composer, Eamonn O’Dwyer, has created for this show is really beautifully designed for this task. It’s simple enough for young audiences to learn very quickly, yet brings in harmonies and develops across the show in such a beautiful way that it’s a treat for the adults as well.

As the title clearly suggests, you have taken a well-known fairy tale and given it a modern spin. What was the reasoning behind that choice and what should we expect?

I’ve always loved the original book, The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. I think it explores some big themes around friendship, mental health and empathy in a surprisingly contemporary way that still feels very relevant today. But, the original book is a long, Victorian novel, written for children and young adults at a time when perceptions of childhood were very different. So, my aim throughout the development of this show has always been to strip out the extraneous elements, the sub-plots and minor characters who aren’t necessary, and to create a simple and powerful show that shares the powerful main messages of the book in a way that is simple and beautiful for both young audiences and their adults. 

In addition, I decided quite early that a woodland setting for the story would work really well. The original story is very full of powerful, wild images of nature – woods, rivers, snowscapes and freezing temperatures the characters cannot ignore. And from there, it was obvious that our characters should be animals, particularly because of the incredibly joyous way that young children connect to animals. Our designer, Laura McEwen, translated these images into a beautiful design which incorporates snowflake and ice designs, natural tones and woodland textures with paper cut-out shapes, to give the show a magical storybook flavour and a real sense of beauty. As well, of course, as mice in pyjamas, essential to any Christmas show.

You have really given us a rich flavour of what to expect, but if I asked you to sum up the piece in three words, what would they be?

I’d say, festive, beautiful and magical… But can I just add as a final comment, The Albany’s social media team have just filmed the cast and creative team, separately, giving their responses to the ‘three-word description’ question. Without realising it, almost the entire team chose the word ‘magical’ as their first word. Which made for a tricky social media edit but hopefully reflects what genuinely audiences will feel when they come along.

Thanks to Nancy for taking the time to chat about this magical, magical, magical production!

The Snow Queen – A Woodland Adventure is aimed at ages 3-8 and is an Icon Theatre production in association with The Albany, Deptford. The show runs From Tuesday 2 to Wednesday 24 December at the Albany Theatre.

After this Christmas’ premiere, Icon will be touring the production next Autumn/Christmas across the UK.