Review: THE SNOWMAN - Birmingham Rep (29/10/26)
Raymond Briggs story brought to life on stage in the most magical way
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There are few pieces of festive media that are quite as instantly recognisable to a British audience as Raymond Briggs' BAFTA-winning 1982 animated short film "The Snowman", itself based on his original picture book from several years earlier; many a family have partaken in group viewings of the film during Christmas Day festivities, the Irn Bru company have parodied the animation in a TV commercial, and there have even been commemorative coins featuring these beloved characters. This new staging, in partnership with Sadler's Wells, brings the story to a new generation of theatrical audiences, under the expert stewardship of award-winning director and choreographer Will Tuckett.
It's a friendship for the ages, a young boy and his snowman, and a bottomless pit of imagination, making for one of the most charming, heartwarming, yet ultimately devastating pieces of modern storytelling. We follow our main character, performed quite superbly by prodigious dance talent Tate Masuku (also performed by Felix Anderson, Jake Durant and Tristan Marwa), as he reflects every child's giddy enthusiasm for the festive period, hot footing it out into the cold as he realises that it has been snowing heavily, the product of which he uses to form himself a friend. There is magic in the air however, and whilst our hero's parents treat him to a wonderfully wholesome Christmas Eve, his new snowman friend comes to life to become...his new snowman friend.
What follows is a night of exploration, adventure and merriment, flying through the sky together to the iconic "Walking in the air", and dancing at a snowman party with Father Christmas. Every moment from Briggs's original story is performed in front of our eyes, with several additional scenes to beef out the narrative, along with Howard Blake's gorgeous score that will no doubt elicit a great deal of fond nostalgia from many in the audience. What director Tuckett has done so beautifully, though, is keep the pacing nice and snappy so it still flows well in spite of the new material, and the more recognisable scenes retain their wonder and whimsy, for a marvellously magical 100 minutes or so of stunning physical and musical storytelling.
There is an in-built, ever present charm about this production, for the most part you can't help but smile, until you get to the ultimate climax, at which point there was not a dry eye in the house (anyone familiar with the story knows exactly what I'm talking about). On top of this though, it's just visually magnificent to behold, Anna Fleischle's sets and Nina Dunn's video contributions in particular paint a quite spectacular picture, especially with how Briggs' own unique artwork has been incorporated into the design. Tahra Zafar also deserves a great deal of credit for how she has bought the snowman to life, the design is delightfully fun and characterful, as well as hugely impressive in size and scale without being frightening or imposing.
I was hesitant initially about the inclusion of an interval, as there is such an in-built fluidity about this piece that anything breaking the flow of it in any way would feel somewhat disenchanting, however Tuckett just about manages to justify this, allowing the simply breathtaking act 1 finale ample time to settle, and for audiences to really live in the moment a little while before the story continues. And there is a palpable, discernible duality between the frivolity and lightness of the more amusing moments, and the genuine, sincere warmth that we feel from the relationship between the Boy and the Snowman, to the point that the final scene feels earned, and that profound emotional hit has more than the desired effect.
Every single performance across the board is sharp, precise, majestic, with an effortless zeal, but also there's something transformative about how this ensemble work together, from their execution of Tuckett's captivating choreography, to how they bring Daisy Beattie's adorable, endearingly clever animal puppets to life. In addition, the hugely gifted, grandiose four-piece orchestra, under the supreme musical direction of Andy Massey, give the illusion of an ensemble 10 times the size, with each of them pulling their weight and then some to well and truly fill the space of the Rep's quasi amphitheatre-style auditorium. And it is a considerable relief that the production opted for live musicians in lieu of their initial plans to use backing tracks, there really is no substitute for real musicians making real music in realtime.
Birmingham Rep have kicked off the festive season quite splendidly, with a production of gorgeous quality and character, as well as an ineffable amount of heart, bringing Briggs's timeless classic to life quite spectacularly; "The Snowman" is a big, warm hug of a production, and a must-see for families this Christmas.
★★★★★ (5*)
"The Snowman" runs at Birmingham Rep until the 1st of November, following which it will transfer to Sadler's Wells (tickets)
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