Birmingham Reps - The Peacock Theatre - Sadler's Wells
The magic of classic Christmas story 'The Snowman' is brought to life and this is the perfect Christmas activity for all the family. It's an unmatched, wholesome experience and it is unmissable.
If you are looking for a 'one size fits all' theatre experience for your family, look no further. The 1978 classic story 'The Snowman', written by Raymond Briggs, is brought to life by 'The Birmingham Reps' in front of your eyes. You are guaranteed to leave feeling that warm Christmas feeling you are longing for. Playing at The Sadler's Wells Peacock Theatre for the 27th year, for a 6-week run. The beautiful music and lyrics by Howard Blake and music directed by Gemma Hawkins.
Excitement fills the theatre, as you sit with apprehension, will this show give 'The Snowman' story the glory it deserves? A heavy snowfall is projected on the stage and the lights come up to reveal the young boy waking up to the excitement of a snow day! The audience follow the boy on his mission to build a snowman, all the family and neighbours get involved. When the snowman is built everyone appreciates the hard work of the young boy and a choir sings. As night falls, the snowman comes to life and the magic begins. This 1 hour 50 (including a 20-minute interval) is the perfect Christmas gift or first theatre experience for your young ones. Music enchants the audience, and the tingling tunes are fabulous. The show includes hilarious comic moments, toys coming to life and a heartwarming family dynamic.
The Snowman is a marvellous character played by Andrew Ashton and Martin Fenton, his character forms a wholesome relationship with his creator, they boy played by Phoenix Beharry, Teddy Holton-Frances and Stanley Williams, alternating throughout the 6 weeks. The two form a fantastic relationship and the acting throughout the non-verbal show is incredibly impressive. There is an array of animal characters throughout the show, but the most comic interaction is between the boy, the snowman and the cat played by Michaela Marrable, when the boy is teaching the snowman how to pet the cat. Marrable perfectly embodies a cat's sassy character and it's interesting to watch how the cat learns to love the snowman, with moments of reminding him of her boundaries! There are so many characters creating this animated Christmas show.
Set is builds a Christmas scene, almost like a snow globe. The snow-covered trees arch over the stage, at the beginning there is a house setting and then it's a winter forest scene. Snow also falls on stage and in the audience. The most iconic moment is when the snowman and the boy fly through the night sky, they wave at the audience and it is so beautiful to see the children in the audience waving back. This shows how the children believe in the magic on stage. Especially the moment Santa comes on stage, the excited gasps from the children in the audience is magical.
The quality of the dance throughout is simple and does give each character their personality. Choreographed by Robert North. As the piece is aimed at families and children I was not expecting complicated choreography, because the performance elements and expression through the characters keeps the hardest to please audience member (the children) entertained. The pauses between scenes are long and break each scene up, making them fragmented at times. This made the young audience restless at times, as it was unclear whether the act had finished or not. If the transitions were smoother and there was something visual to keep the audience engaged, it would make this show top tier!
It's no shock this show has been going on for the last 27 years, it is beautiful, family friendly and Christmas theatre magic comes to life. It is an enjoyable experience for everyone and the comic scenes and animation just keep coming. You will enjoy every moment; it's a short and sweet Christmas experience that engages all the senses and keeps the classic story alive. Do not miss out this Christmas!
Get your tickets: https://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/the-snowman-2024/#book
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