The Southside Group’s, The Snow Queen makes for an atmospheric, gentle, but snappy telling of an old Winter story.
📍Queen’s Park Govanhill Church
📅 1 Dec – 2 Dec
🕖 7:30pm
🕖 Running time (approx.): ~50 mins
🎬 Directors: Peter Clerke & Catherine Gillard
✍️ Adapted by: Peter Clerke
🛠️ Designer: Ali Maclaurin
🎵 Sound Designer & Graphics :Richard Williams
🔌Technical Manager: Hamish Leeson
🎂 All ages
🎭 Wheelchair Accessible Venue; Wheelchair Accessible Toilet; Audio Induction Loop
The Southside Group made their live debut this December 1st, with a fabulously fun, and atmospheric rendition of Hans Christian Andersen‘s The Snow Queen. Where many modern tellings of the story steer closer to Disney’s Frozen than the original, Peter Clerke exhibits far more faithfulness.
The QR spoke with Directors Clerke, and Catherine Gillard in the run-up to the show.
The cast are a delight, and despite doubtlessly surging adrenaline never lost sight of their first priority: to tell the story. From Kai (Calum Alexander) and Gerda’s (Monica Brannan) first scenes with their Grandfather (Hughie McIntyre), it’s clear we’re in Denmark, not the USA, and the impressively austere, and aloof attentions of Joanne Toner as The Snow Queen have no softer side. Alexander and Brannan do a splendid job, their performances honest, energetic, and unbowed beneath the weight of responsibilty.
Gerda’s pursuit of her stolen friend brings her into contact with quite an array of personalities, from an ominous run-in with a band of robbers, to finding an unlikely ally in a wounded raven (Adam Sloan). Sloan is undeniably impressive, a delightful bundle of dancing, characterful talent.
There are nice touches throughout the staging, Designer Maclaurin projecting shadows of Kai and Snow Queen onto a taught canvas backdrop. It keeps them present through Gerda’s adventures, and emphasises the darker shades of this tale of cold hearts, and child kidnap. Sound is also used very well, thanks to Richard Williams, with a selection of sound effects fit of an episode of the Archers, and some atmospheric tunes.
This is a story-driven show, rich in high adventure, and not afraid to have a little fun. There’s the softly breath-taking scene of the collected cast on skates, where delight turns to disaster as Kai skates ever faster, goaded by the Snow Queen away from his friends and family. There’s a tongue twisting aside, as Gerda risks becoming trapped by a garden obsessed witch (Linzi Finnigan), only to be given clues to her escape by talking flowers.
When the time comes for The Snow Queen to be vaniquished, Toner finally shows her good side, tumbling back into her seat with a suitably melodramatic flourush. Would that a review could take time to name, and congratulate every member of cast & crew, this show would deserve it no less than many others I have enjoyed. Yes, as on any opening night, there were a couple of slips, and on rare occassions a need for a prompt, but in the world of community theatre, previews are beyond a luxury.
This is a group, as in any ensemble, of diverse talents and abilities, and were The QR interested in handing out stars for effort, this would warrant a solid 5. However, this is a cast aiming at making objectively good theatre, bringing their hearts and minds to offer a unique perspective on the story. With more experience as a live cast, they can surely aim higher still. Directors Clerke and Catherine Gillard are to be congratulated for enabling such a terrific showing from The Southside Group.
(Photography Credits: The Occasion Theatre Website)
By
By
By
