Peacock Theatre, Sadler’s Wells, London – until 31 December 2022
Guest reviewer: Fozia Munshi
Based on the well-loved Raymond Briggs classic, The Snowman stage show can only be described as magical. Having grown up watching the TV adaptation, the piece has always been an integral part of the Christmas countdown in our family, we’ve got the books and each year eagerly await it being aired on TV.
From the moment we set foot in the theatre, the experience hit us full force. There was a Snowman greeting theatre goers at the door and the stage was set to look like a giant snow globe as we took our seats.
The production remains fairly faithful to the book, on our night Stanley Williams played the boy, and he was magnificent as the youngster who builds the Snowman. My girls aged three and five immediately knew he was playing in the snow.
Once the snowman comes to life the fun truly begins, the dance with the toys left my three-year-old wide eyed and slack jawed (she now wants a magical ballerina on top of a music box). There is much hilarity for grown-ups as the Snowman and little boy explore the house in the night, while the children in the audience remain transfixed watching the magic unfolding before them.
The first half of the show consists of the boy and Snowman playing in the house and exploring outside, the intermission curtain goes down just as the Snowman and little boy look up at the night sky.
The iconic tune and the flight in the nighttime starts immediately as the curtain goes up after the intermission, a warning not to be away from your seat too long or you will miss the start of the signature ‘Walking in the Air’ tune which we all associate with the Snowman.
The production is great fun: there are ballet dancers, to my five-year-old ballet crazy daughter’s delight; Father Christmas makes an appearance, much to every single child in the audience’s delight; and Jack Frost also puts in an appearance (unlike in the book).
The production is very well put together, the children were mesmerised and rooted to their seats. Samantha Rodulfo’s Ice Princess/Music Box Ballerina is enchanting.
The show marks the change in the season and everyone walking out of that theatre walked out in a festive mood. If you can go see it do so, walking out on to the Christmas light festooned streets after watching this Christmas classic come to life, really feels festive. My five-year-old hummed the ‘Walking on the Air’ tune on the way home. I think she put it best as she sighed, I think this was the best day ever! It certainly felt amazing!
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