Snow Child: The Witham, Barnard Castle

BASED on a Russian folk tale, Snow Child is lovingly re-worked and adapted for the stage by Emma Reeves and produced by Tutti Frutti for York Theatre Royal. The set by designer Kate Bunce evokes a beautifully simple winter wonderland with lots of snow and trees made of upturned witches broomsticks cleverly painted white, which adds a nice touch of magic.

The story follows a childless couple who wish they had a child of their own. They build a little girl out of snow who miraculously becomes their longed-for daughter. The transformation isn’t easy however, as snow children are very different to normal children; they don’t sleep or brush their teeth, they hate wearing clothes, dislike being indoors and they never ever tidy up.

Mei Mac mischievous performance of the snow child is delightfully ethereal. She’s petite with a gorgeous voice, bags of enthusiasm and fabulous dance skills. Paula James and Mark Pearce are the multi-talented Mum and Dad; both play guitar and their voices harmonise perfectly. James also gives us an excellent performance of M. Fox and both are brim-full of silliness as the local village children brought in to play with the snow child.

Oliver Birch’s catchy songs are short and upbeat and I loved his delicate lament for the lost child after the snow child is chased into the forest by a hungry grizzly bear. A perfect introduction to children’s theatre, this is an hour long and a cheaper alternative to Christmas pantomimes. Highly recommended.

Tour dates: Dec 1 to- 5 Washington Arts Centre. Box Office: 0191-219-3455.

Feb 23 to Mar 6, York Theatre Royal. 01904-623-568

Helen Brown