Dundee Rep's production of the Hans Christen Anderson classic leaves Joy Watters rather cold.
There's something about Dundee Rep's Christmas offering that leaves one a little cold. Unfortunately it is not in its recreation of the chilly lands of the Snow Queen but in its lack of a driving force overseeing the festive entertainment.
Over the years, The Rep has made a name for itself with a series of heart-warming Christmas tales, which weave a web of enchantment, involving and moving audiences of all ages.
Jemima Levick's Snow Queen seems to fall prey to peripheral detail rather than burying itself deep in story-telling. As in her previous production, She Town, there is a lot of unnecessary moving about to no end and no real sense of when a scene has achieved its purpose in telling the story of Gerda and Kai.
The production does have its moments, with a hard-working cast acting its socks off, none more than Ann Louise Ross as the granny and story-teller who is scarcely off the stage. It seems an unnecessarily large role for any actor.
The ensemble regulars who have previously excelled in such shows are really limited to cameos, John Buick's miserable imprisoned deer with the saddest face imaginable is one such delight. It would have been great to see more from a cast with a proven track record of providing great family entertainment.
The play takes a while to connect with the audience rather than initially grabbing its attention. Instead of a flowing, gripping narrative, there is a kind of disconnection, hampering the progress of Hans Christian Andersen's tale as adapted by Mike Kenny. Even the Snow Queen herself (Emily Winters) has to strap on a pair of snow stilts, which do not promote easy movement.
The ensemble graduates Molly Vevers and Martin McBride take on the leading roles of Gerda and Kai. The friends are on a learning curve as Gerda journeys to bring back Kai, freeing him from the Snow Queen's icy grasp and melting his frozen heart. Vevers has a lovely expression of innocence and is full of the character's bravery, punctuated with quite a lot of tears, while McBride's teenage boy rages as his world turns upside down.
It is quite telling that the point in the show which really seemed to delight the children was a special effect in the auditorium. Delightful as it is, perhaps those special moments should have been happening on the stage.
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