Dance
The Snowman
Theatre Royal, Glasgow
Mary Brennan, four stars
A COMPUTER geek with Grinch-like tendencies could probably reduce this production to kill-joy algorithms. Cynically unpick the sentimental storyline, the jolly designs, the delightful music and expound on why cutesy-furry animals induce smitten "aaawww!" responses, or a more-ish tune like Walking in the Air acts like magic dust on our ears. But – sorry, Grinches. everywhere – it’s impossible to nail the precise DNA of charm and enchantment, those elusive, beguiling ingredients that still make The Snowman irresistible to audiences worldwide.
It’s 30 years since choreographer Robert North, composer Howard Blake and Birmingham Repertory Theatre joined creative forces to bring Raymond Briggs’s much-loved picture book on-stage. Feelgood fun was successfully infused with his poignant awareness of how young, and old, long for everyday life to spring fantastical surprises – like a Snowman that comes to life and whisks you off on midnight adventures.
And oh, what dance-y larks Briggs’s lucky Boy and his Snow-chum have here. Once the Snowman (Martin Fenton) has sampled the curiosities of life indoors he and The Boy go madly vrooming around on a (proper) motorbike. Humour and whimsy combine pleasingly, until the other-worldly strains of Walking in the Air signal that the pair are about to take flight. And it’s breath-taking, affecting even. You’ve sensed The Boy (an engagingly lively Harley Gallacher) is a solitary little lad, and now – hand-in-hand with the affable Snowman – he’s en route to the North Pole. Scuttering penguins, a boisterous Father Christmas, characterful Snow-folk, a daintily balletic Ice Princess - dashingly partnered by the Snowman – make Act Two into a hi-jinks hooley despite the drmatically menacing Jack Frost. Yes, it all melts away in the end... but somewhere it’s snowing, and magic might be in the air for an imaginative child.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here