As the cold and frosty nights draw in, there is no denying the festive season is racing towards us as the Theatre Royal showcase a Christmas treat with The Snowman brought to life as a live stage show by Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
Performed on stage since 1993, it has become a part of festive tradition for nearly 25 years. As well as touring the UK, The Snowman has debuted in Japan, Holland, Finland, Sweden, and South Korea. It is also now the longest–running Christmas show in the UK. Executive Director Stuart Rogers comments on its continued success “It never fails to enchant a new generation. It’s so visual and the music is so powerful that it appeals on many different levels.”
From the moment the first snowflakes fall on the stage and the famous opening notes of the musical score are played, the audience are transported into a magical Christmas world where a boy’s friendship with his snowman takes him on an adventure all the way to the North Pole, meeting lots of characters along the way including of course Santa Claus himself.
The touching tale of friendship is beautifully choreographed as The Snowman (Martin Fenton) and The Boy (Max Goodridge) get up to all sorts of mischief while Mum and Dad are asleep, including trying on his dad’s wardrobe, a limbo dance with some tropical fruit and a motor bike ride across town….. Seeing is indeed believing!
Act one ends with the famous Walking in the Air sequence as The Snowman and The Boy seamlessly begin to fly across the stage headed to the North Pole. It’s an uplifting moment.
Act Two opens with the Snowman’s arrival in the North Pole as he meets a host of fellow Snow people – including a cowboy snowman, a Chinese snowgirl and a Scottish Snowman complete with kilt and highland dance which got a huge cheer from the Glasgow audience.
Santa Claus’s arrival delighted the younger members of the audience as gasps of “Santa!” could be heard echoing around the theatre.
A highlight of the show was without a doubt the expressive choreography which complimented by the live orchestra, ensured there was no need for words within this well-loved story. Fenton gave an outstanding performance with his elegant and highly polished portrayal of The Snowman which is no easy task in a heavy woolly outfit!
His moving duet with the Ice Princess was a delight to watch as the audience. A strong villainous performance was
given from Jack Frost, desperate to steal the Ice Princess, welcomed on stage by various gasps at his menacing stares into the audience.
The supporting cast added plenty of cute and cuddly friends in abundance as penguins, a squirrel, a cat and reindeer all joined in on the adventures on stage.
There are a few wonderful comedy moments such as the penguins being carried off stage, Santa bitten by the naughty reindeers and the highlight of the night – the Scottish snowman ceremoniously delivering a “Glasgow kiss” to Jack Frost to save the day prompting cheers and applause from the giggling audience.
The attention to detail with stunning costume design complimented by visually impressive stage lighting and set design added to the magical feel on stage. In fact there are 17 dancers, 5 musicians, 20 stage crew and 265 individual props to ensure the story dazzles on stage.
The timeless appeal of The Snowman story was evident as multiple generations of audience members could be seen enjoying every moment of this classic tale which has become part of many families’ festive traditions.
A wonderful treat for all of the family this Christmas.
Tickets on sale until Sunday 17 th November