A flurry of outstanding performances from Prep school’s “The Snow Queen”

24 Feb 2017

Kaye Umansky’s re-telling of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of The Snow Queen was chosen for the Year 5 drama club’s first production of the year.  The story tells of a boy, Kay, who is kidnapped by the evil Snow Queen and rescued by his sister, Gerda.  She is forced to travel through the wilderness, encountering many dangers along the way, to retrieve him from the eerie ice palace.

The cast were able to showcase their talents in a wide-variety of roles. The Snow Queen was chilling in a fashion reminiscent of Miss Havisham, and both the actresses playing the eponymous role enjoyed playing such “a dangerous character.”  A haunting soundtrack by Stephen Chadwick created a mysterious atmosphere surrounding the ice palace, allowing the children to really get into character.

A courageous Gerda provided a delightful contrast to the Snow Queen and both girls playing the role, conveyed her ‘purity and innocence of heart’. Pupils playing the comic relief characters brought the well-loved story to life, in figures such as the endearing granny, the chorus of crows and the royal couple.  The faithful reindeer was a particular favourite amongst the Perse spectators who enjoyed a character “full of surprises”.

The production was guided by Mr de Albuquerque and Mr Harris, and gave all twenty three children the opportunity to develop confidence, stage presence and teamwork.