A beloved Bath Christmas tradition is getting a new coat of snow, and this time, the weather report calls for indoor flurries. The Egg at Theatre Royal Bath is set to premiere Snow Mice! (20 November – 11 January 2026), a highly anticipated follow-up to the decade-running hit Snow Mouse.
This new production, in collaboration with the award-winning New International Encounter (NIE), scales up the original’s intimate magic for a slightly older audience. Director and co-writer Alex Byrne reveals the technical ambition driving the project, stating simply: “We want to see if we can make it snow in the whole of the theatre!” This commitment to a vast, transformative environment forces the show’s evolution—taking a local celebrity character and propelling it into a larger, deeper exploration of winter adventure, siblings, and the power of belief.
From Single Mouse to Sibling Adventures: The Structural Shift
The decision to expand on a successful, established show brings a dual challenge: retaining the charm of the original while justifying the sequel. For Byrne, the structural answer was clear: more characters, more space, and a longer journey.
“The original Snow Mouse is a wonderfully simple story of two characters, a child and a mouse who explore a snowy landscape together,” Byrne explains. For the sequel, the team aimed higher. “The biggest structural change for Snow Mice! is, of course, more mice and more children,” he confirms. “As we’re now addressing a slightly older age group [ages 3–9], there is scope for other kinds of relationships and for a longer and more challenging journey.”
Alex Byrne reveals the technical ambition driving the project, stating simply: “We want to see if we can make it snow in the whole of the theatre!”
This expansion of the world requires a larger physical space. “Where Snow Mouse was a wonderful immersive environment in quite a small space we’ve tried to expand that idea into The Egg’s bigger main space, making the whole theatre into a snowy landscape.” This larger setting directly facilitates the show’s core themes: sibling adventures, finding your feet in unfamiliar places, and what we choose to believe in.
The Non-Negotiables: Live Music, Puppetry, and The Magic of Transformation
NIE is renowned globally for blending physical theatre, live music, and puppetry—elements that are core to Snow Mice!’s DNA. These aren’t technical flourishes; they are foundational storytelling tools that Byrne keeps returning to.
“Puppets because they allow you to explore different scales and to make something intimate and epic at the same time,” he says. Similarly, the live music—featuring cello and guitar—remains central. Byrne advocates for the visceral experience: “I think it’s fantastic that children see live music played for them as well as hearing it as part of the performance. A creator really dynamic experience.”
Working at The Egg, the dedicated children’s theatre, provides a unique canvas for this sensory focus. Byrne loves the venue’s flexibility, which enabled his big indoor weather idea. “There’s always much more scope when you’re making something for a longer run that doesn’t need to tour and travel to different places,” he notes. While constraints exist, Byrne sees them as inspiration. “One of the things that theatre can do fantastically well is transform the mundane into the extraordinary and it’s that process of transformation that can really delight an audience, young or old.”
Global Experience, Local Commitment: Why Christmas Theatre Matters
The partnership with New International Encounter (NIE) brings a world of experience to Bath. NIE is an international company that has shared its work everywhere from inside the Arctic Circle to the subtropical Japanese island of Okinawa, and has staged shows at venues ranging from the Sydney Opera House to the New Victory Theater in New York.
Alex Byrne reflects on how this global experience informs his return to family theatre in the UK. “At NIE we’ve made lots of Christmas shows before and have performed in various places including Cambridge Junction, the Tobacco Factory in Bristol, and Polka Children’s Theatre in London,” he notes.
But the appeal of the season is personal, too. “I love to see families come out together to the theatre over the holiday season. I remember it as a big deal in my own family growing up,” Byrne shares. This tradition, he believes, offers a rare opportunity: “It’s a chance to make a show that works on many levels appealing to small children and adults at the same time.” This personal connection is what keeps the annual holiday show fresh. “As the nights draw in and December starts, I can’t help but feel that magic and excitement,” he admits, acknowledging that the tradition is deeply “tied to the rhythm of the year and the changing of the seasons.”
The Art of Not Talking Down to a Young Audience
With themes of doubt and discovery, Byrne understands the need to handle emotional material with integrity. His philosophy is one of fundamental respect.
“I think it needs great care,” he states. “For quite a lot of the kids coming to the show, it might be their first experience of live theatre. In the theatre as in any art form you need to treat your audience seriously and as equals whether they are children or adults.”
“As the nights draw in and December starts, I can’t help but feel that magic and excitement,” he admits, acknowledging that the tradition is deeply “tied to the rhythm of the year and the changing of the seasons.”
This respect dictates that the non-negotiable core remains: “I wanted the show to hold onto the notion of children and animals exploring the landscape together.” He sums up his primary seasonal obligation to the sequel: “Well… I think the title means they have to be mice rather than just one mouse and definitely not chickens or geese….”
How does one achieve structure without sacrificing the playful spontaneity children’s theatre needs? “I think you have to trust the cast to find the right way,” Byrne explains. “There tend to be parts of the show that are quite structured and fixed and other parts that are free and interact with the audience.”
When the curtain comes down on Snow Mice! in January, and the final lights go up, Byrne has a specific, anarchic image he hopes audiences carry with them as they step back into the world. It is the purest distillation of winter mischief and collaborative play: “A mad snowball fight.”
Feautured Image: Linda Scaramelli, Nikki Warwick, Greg Hall – Image by Lloyd Evans x Snow Mice @ the egg
Details
Show: Snow Mice!
Venue: The Egg, Theatre Royal Bath
Dates: 20 November 2025 – 11 January 2026
Running Time: 1 hour, no interval
Age Guidance: 3–9 years
Admission: £15–£18 (Schools/Nurseries £10; one free ticket per 10 booked)
Time: Various times (e.g. 10:00am, 11:30am, 2:00pm, 3:30pm)
Accessibility: Accessible Venue; Relaxed and signed performances on select dates
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