The Christmas theatre season is certainly in full swing as Paul Boyd’s latest musical The Snow Queen flurries to the stage at Belfast’s Lyric Theatre. Taking Hans Christian Anderson’s classic tale and giving it a bit of a welcome refresh, The Snow Queen sees bookworm Gerda leave the sweltering climes of her home town to embark on a treacherous journey to Finmark to save her best friend Kai (he’s definitely not her boyfriend, she promises – he’s just a mate) from the clutches of The Snow Queen. 

Considering that this is her professional debut, Calla Hughes Nic Aoidh does a sterling job in her role as Gerda, an  immensely likeable character that she does justice to as she frolics around the stage on her quest, even breaking the fourth wall to speak directly to the audience here and there.

While looking for her friend Kai (played by the equally warm and likeable Ben McGarvey) Gerda runs into her great aunts (all played by Christina Nelson) along the way and learns about the gifts that her family possesses through the help of some very catchy musical numbers. A staple in Paul Boyd’s shows, Christina Nelson’s performance is every inch that of a pantomime dame as she portrays Gerda’s grandmother Rose who can control the earth, her great aunt Heather who can control water and her great aunt Tanzy who can control fire. 

Christopher Finn’s performance as plucky wooden soldier Oakie elicits some laugh out loud responses from the audience, while his portrayal as reindeer Baa is subtly poignant in contrast. Aaron Halliwell plays the charming Prince amongst other characters with a humbleness not often seen on stage, and as part of the live band he is joined by Darren Franklin in providing musical accompaniment. 

Doubling up as a perky villager and the devilish Snow Queen herself, Ruby Campbell’s voice is unparalleled on stage as she belts out numbers worthy of an evil Elsa, bringing the whole performance to a crescendo. With hints of Disney’s Encanto (the energy, the music, the setting) and Disney’s Frozen meshed together this is a great family show for all ages. The story is easy to follow, the songs are all ear worms and the ensemble are all vastly talented. 

With densely packed lyrical numbers and live music played by the ensemble themselves, The Snow Queen is a dynamic delight that isn’t just your standard glittering Christmas show. A nice mix of morality, frivolity and fun, The Snow Queen has charm, wit, and most importantly – balance. 

The Snow Queen is on at the Lyric Theatre until 31st December, for more information or to book tickets click here. 

Laura Caldwell

Author: Laura Caldwell

Hi, I'm Laura. I'm 30 years old and have a degree in Journalism with Photo-Imaging at the University of Ulster. I have an undying love for Belfast and all that it has to offer, an undying love for sleeping, Tegan and Sara, trashy tv shows, foreign snack-foods and being irresponsible with money. I also quite like origami, reading, jazz, hip-hop, dubstep, anything acoustic and Food Network TV. I've written for The Big List, Culture NI, Chatterbox and The Echo, as well as writing for BBC Across the Line.