‘It was exhilarating’: Disney’s Frozen offers the most perfectly packaged present for all ages

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I don’t have children so the 2013 release of Disney’s animated film of Frozen largely passed me by. It wasn’t until a Christmas a couple of years later that I finally saw the film.

While staying with family in California, a couple with a young daughter came to the house. As her parents mingled in the room next door, the girl was plonked in front of the television with her favourite film, Frozen. The girl wasn’t old enough to form full sentences yet, but she knew the film inside-out, mirroring the characters’ gestures, miming their speech. When ‘Let It Go’ started up, the toddler climbed onto the sofa, throwing her arms out wide and howling along at full pelt.

In the process of enjoying this adorable display, I also got sucked into the film and, rather than sharing eggnog with the adults, stayed to watch Frozen until the end with its Number 1 fan.

Fast-forward to today and, while London has had to wait a long time for Disney’s own screen-to-stage adaptation, its September arrival makes it feel as if Christmas has come early to the West End, with this show, wrapped up in the glorious opulence of the renovated Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the most perfectly packaged present.

I shudder to think how much money has been spent on this blockbuster. Whatever the amount, the evidence of how well it has been spent is there on the stage throughout.

There are loud gasps when Samantha Barks removes her gloves and lets rip with her freezing powers – lights shooting out across the stage to transform her surroundings from verdant to arctic in seconds. When she escapes to her ice palace and her dress magically alters in front of us, the audience goes wild.

Set and costume designer Christopher Oram and lighting designer Neil Austin deserve all the awards going for their latest effort with Michael Grandage, the biggest-budget culmination of the trio’s long-time collaboration since Grandage’s Sheffield Crucible and Donmar Warehouse days.

Grandage also draws engaging performances from his leading ladies – Barks’ regal and frosty Elsa and Stephanie McKeon’s naïve and goofy Anna. It’s nice to see such an unabashed sisterly love story take centre stage – though all of the performances run the risk of being upstaged by the foot-powered puppetry of Craig Gallivan’s adorable snowman Olaf.

I know that little girl from California – who won’t be quite so little now – would love this show. The audience was full of other little girls like her, dressed up in princess outfits, singing along and unleashing their energy back into collective excitement into the auditorium. It was exhilarating.

You don’t have to have a child, or be a child, for Frozen to melt your heart. Now, my only question is: how long before I give in and subscribe to Disney+ so I can watch Frozen II?

Frozen is at the West End’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Show photos

On Twitter

Got caught in the rain walking home but not before getting caught in the snow coming out of @frozenlondon at @TheatreRoyalDL.

After jaw-dropping splendour onstage, even more magical to emerge to this. No one wanted to leave. Much dancing & singing in the street. #FrozenLondon pic.twitter.com/9PgPGuJW3P

— Terri Paddock (@TerriPaddock) September 8, 2021

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Terri Paddock
Terri Paddock runs the Terri Paddock Group, which provides content and social media marketing services for theatre clients across channels including MyTheatreMates.com, StageFaves.com, Stage Talk and TerriPaddock.com. Previously,
Terri Paddock founded WhatsOnStage.com and the WhatsOnStage Awards, running the company and its events from 1996 to 2013. Terri is also the author of two novels, Come Clean and Beware the Dwarfs, and has previously written for the Evening Standard, Independent, The Times and other national publications. She is renowned for her 'legendary' post-show Q&As and also produces the annual Critics' Circle Theatre Awards and acts as a digital, content strategy and event consultant for theatre, producers and other clients. She tweets about theatre at @TerriPaddock.
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Terri Paddock on FacebookTerri Paddock on InstagramTerri Paddock on LinkedinTerri Paddock on TwitterTerri Paddock on Youtube
Terri Paddock
Terri Paddock runs the Terri Paddock Group, which provides content and social media marketing services for theatre clients across channels including MyTheatreMates.com, StageFaves.com, Stage Talk and TerriPaddock.com. Previously,
Terri Paddock founded WhatsOnStage.com and the WhatsOnStage Awards, running the company and its events from 1996 to 2013. Terri is also the author of two novels, Come Clean and Beware the Dwarfs, and has previously written for the Evening Standard, Independent, The Times and other national publications. She is renowned for her 'legendary' post-show Q&As and also produces the annual Critics' Circle Theatre Awards and acts as a digital, content strategy and event consultant for theatre, producers and other clients. She tweets about theatre at @TerriPaddock.

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