Preview by Steve Cooke
Acclaimed children’s theatre company Wrongsemble return to Waterside with a joyful Christmas show for all the family, with climate change and sustainability at its heart.
This vibrant musical re-telling of The Snow Queen is reimagined in an exciting adventure for the whole family.
Positive, powerful, and playful – this adaptation celebrates the idea that small changes can make a big difference. The Snow Queen - who is supposed to control the weather – is about to face her biggest challenge yet! The seasons aren’t behaving. The world is getting warmer. And it hasn’t snowed for years...Little Lumi gazes up at the stars and worries about the world. The adults don't seem to have noticed that the seasons aren’t behaving, or that it hasn’t snowed for years. This is an emergency. So, it’s time to take the issue straight to the top (of the world) and find the Snow Queen who she has heard so much about...
The sustainable and climate change-conscious Snow Queen shimmies and slays like the fierce drag queen that she is, residing in a sequined moon watching over the world below from her glittering piano.
Joyous, anarchic, and wonderfully musical, the show fuses fun and the magic of theatre to shine a much-needed spotlight on climate change emergency. Through humour and heart, it provides an inspiring and powerful message about caring for the planet and the power of using our own voices to stand up for what we believe to be right. It takes a beautiful and traditional story and gives it a contemporary twist both in terms of its casting and its storyline to reflect the issues and the wonderful, diverse world around us.
Featuring an original soundtrack of music performed live by the cast of three actor-musicians, an eclectic mix of musical genres, from piano cabaret anthems to storytelling folk-pop songs, and energetic musical theatre numbers combine with high-energy dance-routines to entertain all ages from 4-104!
In keeping with the shows message of sustainability - the set and costumes are made from recycled materials and most of the production elements have been designed to be as sustainable and eco-conscious as possible.
As writer and director of this adaptation, Wrongsemble Artistic Director Elvi Piper comments:
“As a family theatre company, we feel it is part of our role to explore the themes and ideas which our young audiences are curious about, and which affect us all. Inspired by young activists like Greta Thunberg we felt adapting The Snow Queen in this way was a perfect opportunity to celebrate the power of children’s voices regarding issues which impact their future.
It feels so important that what we put on our stages reflects the world around us. As well as entertaining families, we have a responsibility to educate, encourage questioning, and inspire conversations. By providing opportunities to explore sustainability in a fun and engaging way we hope audiences will leave inspired to take whatever action they feel they can.
We are also so thrilled to be returning to Waterside this festive season as we have had the pleasure of spending Christmas at this incredible venue with its brilliant audiences previously in 2021 (The Not So Ugly Sisters) and cannot wait to be back with this magical and musical show.”
THE SNOW QUEEN
Wed 29 Nov – Sat 30 Dec
Various times
£16 / £14 / £7 low income/ £12 Schools
Age 4+ | 60 mins, no interval
In the Robert Bolt Theatre
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Cast
Horton / Oops / Flash Molly Grace Cutler
Snow Queen (Madge) Richard Priestley
Lumi Amy Tara
Creative Team
Director / Writer Elvi Piper
Designer Antony Jones
Creative Producer Chemeana Lacey
Musical Director/Composer Rosie Fox
Stage Manager Heather Newsham
Lighting Design Alastair Fox
Associate Artist Edith Kirkwood
Waterside is an award-winning, vibrant destination for performance, culture and events in the heart of Sale in Trafford, Greater Manchester.
Waterside opened in 2004 and has built a strong reputation for delivering high quality and engaging work, ranging from family theatre, interactive arts activity, performance, live music and regular comedy as well as high profile visual arts exhibitions.
With an important role to play in the local community, the venue welcomes over 100,000 visitors per year, stages the annual ten-day Refract Festival and the cultural LGBTQ+ celebration Pride in Trafford; and engages with over 7000 residents through the established participation programme.
The space houses a main auditorium (the Robert Bolt Theatre), a versatile conference and studio performance space (the Chambers), three exhibition spaces and a number of studios, meeting and workshop spaces, all used by a variety of different groups.
The Lauriston Gallery is open to the public six days a week and is free to visit. The venue is funded by Trafford Council and supported by Arts Council England, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
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