A perfectly child-centred, frosty and festive adventure with friendship at its warm heart Rating
Excellent
Frost, fur and friendship come together in this joyfully festive production of The Snow Queen – A Woodland Adventure at Albany Theatre this Christmas. This Hans Christian Andersen story can often be a bit bleak; it focusses on sadness, abandonment, mental health issues and of course the cold. In Nancy Hirst’s considered adaptation, however, the whole thing is given a much cosier feel that works brilliantly. It’s still the familiar story of friends Gerda and Kai, but in a charming twist they are now mice in pyjamas, the Snow Queen herself is a gorgeous snow leopard, and the audience are all guests at Gerda’s sleepover party in Bluebell Wood.
It’s a good thing we’re there too, because Kai’s heart been pierced by a shard of the Snow Queen’s shattered mirror of sadness, and our warm hearts will be needed to help heal him and get him home safely when he runs off to her icy land.
Hirst’s script is as crisp as a fresh blanket of snow, with a clear, pacey narrative that is perfectly trimmed and tailored to suit the 3-8 years age range. There’s not a moment wasted, with the audience engaged in the process at every step, carried along on the journey. Messages of listening and kindness, of talking to someone about your problems and not judging others, are gently woven in without a hint of being patronising.
From fabulous fairy spells to singalong songs and a cheese vote, the participatory elements of the show are handled brilliantly by a talented cast, respectful of their young audience. As Gerda, Eve Pereira in particular leads the audience with a gentle firmness and familiar techniques that help them engage with ease, having fun and creating a warm friendliness.
Henry Regan plays Kai with a touching vulnerability that’s sensible beneath his irritable exterior, which makes the boy’s healing process believable. Meanwhile, Freya Stephenson is an elegant leopard Snow Queen, draped in beautiful furs that make her at once both regal and adorable. Again, there’s humanity just beneath the surface of the traditional baddie role that makes the resolution convincing. The two are also excellent as additional characters, such as the Crow and the Squirrel whose physical, slapstick squabbling brought howls of laughter from the young audience.
Visually there’s real magic to the production, and Laura McEwan’s design work shines. A host of fabulous lighting effects shift us from a snug bedroom to a frosty forest setting as the adventure ensues, while moments of beautiful puppetry and fabric manipulation bring the legendary story to life. But it’s the exceptional original music by Eamonn O’Dwyer that is a real standout, adding mystical sparkle and drama, and also allowing the performers to demonstrate their amazing voices. It creates a fabulously festive feeling and I’d happily hear more of it.
It’s so refreshing to see this story made as light as a snowflake, perfectly adapted for its target age range and with child-centred thinking at its heart. With magical music, puppetry, sparkle and snow, this Snow Queen is a wonderful way to celebrate the Christmas season.
Artistic director: Nancy Hirst
Design by: Laura McEwen
Original music by: Eamonn O’Dwyer
An Icon Theatre production in association with The Albany
The Snow Queen – A Woodland Adventure is aimed at ages 3-8 years and runs until Wednesday 24 December at the Albany Theatre. You can read more about it in our recent interview with Nancy Hirst.
