Theresa Heskins’s new adaptation of The Snow Queen, the Christmas 2016 production at Newcastle-under-Lyme’s New Vic, draws inspiration from the relationship between children’s author Hans Christian Andersen and his English contemporary Charles Dickens.
Heskins, the New Vic’s artistic director, said, “famously, this mutual admiration and warmth turned to coolness, and this challenge of emotions at a time of great change has served as the background in Andersen’s streamlined story, offering the Snow Queen herself a back-story and a resolution.”
The production also aims to introduce New Vic audiences to the Danish concept of hygge, with the themes of warmth and ice coolness helping to bring the fairy tale to life.
Heskins added, “I want the New Vic’s work to reach out to a wide audience. Nowhere is this more important than in our annual seasonal production which will welcome and embrace small children making their first visit to a piece of theatre as readily as it will inspire and delight the most sophisticated adult who’s already enjoyed a lifetime of theatregoing.”
The cast of The Snow Queen features Victoria Brazier, Natasha Davidson who played Catherine in Arthur Miller’s A View From The Bridge at the Octagon Theatre Bolton in 2015, Rachel Dawson who took the role of Beryl Stapleton in Richard Hurford’s version of Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of The Baskervilles at York Theatre Royal in 2016, Lizzie Franks, Matthew Ganley who appeared in Maxine Peake’s story about cyclist Beryl Burton, Beryl, at West Yorkshire Playhouse in 2015, Rachael Garnett, Polly Lister who was in Mike Kenny’s adaptation of Siobhan Dowd’s novel Solace of the Road in 2015 and played Mam in Lee Hall’s Cooking With Elvis in 2013, both at Derby Theatre, Oliver Mawdsley who was Pongo in Theresa Heskins’s adaptation of Dodie Smith’s The Hundred and One Dalmatians at the New Vic in 2013, Luke Murphy, Molly Roberts, James Sidwell and Katherine Toy.
The Snow Queen will be brought to the stage by the same creative team behind New Vic shows Robin Hood and Marian in 2015, The Borrowers in 2014 and The Hundred and One Dalmatians: head of workshop Laura Clarkson (set design), Lis Evans (costume design) and Daniella Beattie (lighting). Composer is James Atherton.
The Snow Queen runs at the New Vic from Saturday 19 November until Saturday 28 January.