With the festive season coming to a close, The Snow Queen’s run at the Rose Theatre is almost over. Since the 6th of December, a talented cast of professional actors, supported by the Rose Youth Theatre, has brought magic to Kingston and been a family favourite this month. It shall continue to amaze and enchant locals and visitors alike until Sunday 5th January, so those wanting to be entertained and remain in a festive spirit still have some time left to see this wonderful performance.
‘The Snow Queen’ is based on Hans Christian Andersen’s original tale of love and magic, so the characters and story outline will be familiar to many. Gerda (Parisa Shahmir) discovers she possesses magical powers and is in fact the Child of Magic, hidden away in an orphanage from the evil Snow Queen (Helena Blackman). Without releasing what the consequences will be, she shows Kai (Jack Wolfe), her best friend, her powers; she brings a pressed rose back to life. However, this simple action has serious repercussions: it reveals their location to the Snow Queen. The Snow Queen lures Kai away to the Frozen North with the promise of him becoming a Prince and then, the play truly begins.
Gerda, steered by her fondness of Kai, embarks on a journey into the Frozen North to save him, though increasing her proximity to the Snow Queen only puts her in greater danger. Along the way, she encounters Bonny, a young pirate Captain, as well as Bancu, a talking reindeer, who is a new addition in this adaption of ‘The Snow Queen’. Furthermore, the journey to Kai is made even more challenging by vicious trolls – they perform the Snow Queen’s orders. However, Santa’s elves and Santa himself provide Gerda with some assistance and feature in the Rose Theatre’s rendition of ‘The Snow Queen’.
Bancu the reindeer is a loveable character, manoeuvred by three members of the Rose Youth Theatre and voiced by one of them. Due to the skilled and rehearsed movements of the actors, Bancu comes to life as a real character, with the audience often forgetting he’s a puppet. Meanwhile, Bonny the pirate is entertaining and captures the ferociousness of a young Captain brilliantly, delighting the audience with her singing voice and talent. Overall, the Youth Theatre actors with starring roles perform extremely well, their acting convincing and well received by the audience. The rest of the Youth Theatre bring further magic to the Rose Theatre’s ‘The Snow Queen’ through numerous musical numbers and engaging performances. Eamonn O’Dwyer’s songs are shown justice by the excellent cast; everyone is is tune and on time, hence helping to develop the enchanting atmosphere.
However, the real star of the show is Gerda, played by Parisa Shahmir. Her performances are energetic, determined and thought-provoking. Diana L commented: ‘Gerda was everything I imagined her to be and more – not only were my children entertained, but I was too.’ With a lovely singing voice, Shahmir captures Gerda’s desire to free Kai and Gerda‘s courageous and witty spirit are also put across well. Jack Wolfe as Kai complements Gerda’s character and does his part in developing the story of ‘The Snow Queen’. The Snow Queen is portrayed by Helena Blackman and, dressed in a beautiful, sparkling floor length dress, she encapsulates the evil essence of the Snow Queen perfectly. Rounding up the ‘fabulous five’ of professional actors, Roger May as both Kai’s dad and Father Christmas and Davina Moon as Freya, a new and mysterious character who works at the orphanage, also make it a memorable performance.
A show to remember, ‘The Snow Queen’ has a simple but effective wooden set; one minute, the Ice Palace stands before the audience and the next, a pirate ship appears out of nowhere. The eager audience of adults and children is also transported to Evergreen, home of Father Christmas and his many elves. The set is changed fluidly and quickly, impressing the audience and demonstrating the skill of those behind the scenes of the Rose Theatre’s ‘The Snow Queen’. Props are an integral part of this play, ranging from beautifully wrapped presents to gleaming rings which give the impression of spells being cast. Every member of the cast is familiar with the props, hence the professionalism of the performance.
Overall, ‘The Snow Queen’ is an excellent adaption of the original story, and suitable for all ages. Already seen by hundreds of families this holiday season, it is a great show which provides a welcome break from traditional pantomimes. It is magical, charming and captivating – those still to see it are in for a treat.
