The Snow Queen: A Woodland Adventure – Icon Theatre / The Albany, London

The tale of the Snow Queen and its lessons of friendship and understanding takes shape for young audiences at The Albany in Deptford. A great Christmas theatre pick for families.

The Snow Queen

Icon Theatre’s The Snow Queen is a charming family production, full of the warm glow that people look for at this time of year. Writer and director Nancy Hirst has reshaped Hans Christian Andersen’s original tale for very young audiences, but the heart of the story remains. Gerda and Kay’s friendship is still the backbone of it, the Snow Queen’s unhappiness still weighs heavily, and the mirror’s icy fragments still stand in for sadness and discontent. But here Gerda (Eve Pereira) and Kay (Henry Regan) are two tiny mice tucked up in a cosy burrow in Bluebell Woods, and the Snow Queen (Freya Stephenson) is now a Snow Leopard. The Crow (also Regan – Regan and Stephenson take on multiple roles), pleasingly, is still a Crow. Much of Gerda’s wandering from the original is trimmed away, in a simpler narrative that leans into kindness, understanding and togetherness.

The production is built around interaction, and the cast embrace this from the moment the children arrive. They greet them as mice, scampering and chattering, lowering the barrier between performers and audience. Throughout the show, simple songs (music by Eamonn O’Dwyer), rhythmic games and physical moments (movement director Maria Ghoumrassi) help keep young attention spans focused. Children can join in eagerly, join in quietly, or simply watch. It feels nicely inclusive, and that thoughtfulness creates a lot of the show’s charm.

Kindness Melts Even the Coldest Spell

The only moments that felt slightly out of step were a couple of scenes between the woodland creatures as Gerda makes her way towards Kay. A squirrel and a crow in a physical tussle drew loud laughter (a child near me drew a laugh proclaiming it as “VERY funny!”) but the tone was a touch less kind than the rest of the piece. The language between the creatures edged away from the show’s softer heart. It wasn’t a serious misstep, but stood out a little in a production otherwise built on warmth and generosity.

The design work is lovely. Laura McEwen’s set cleverly embeds the motif of mirror fragments into a flexible structure that shifts from burrow to forest to frozen kingdom. The lighting (Callum Macdonald) moves with Gerda’s emotional world, sliding from warmer hues to crisp, icy blues. One interactive sequence doubles as a distraction while the set transforms into a babbling brook: a neat solution that keeps little ones from getting restless. The puppetry and movement also land well, adding a touch of magic.

What lingers most is the atmosphere. As I walked back through Deptford afterwards, I found myself thinking about the small interactions I’d seen: children getting into the fun, adults encouraging shy participation, strangers holding hands or touching elbows. It struck me that the show’s message – that kindness melts even the coldest spell – had slipped into the audience as naturally as the songs and games. Perhaps one of those icy mirror shards melted a little in my own heart too, just in time for Christmas.

Salterton Arts Review’s rating: 4/5

The Snow Queen: A Woodland Adventure on until 24 December 2025. More info and tickets here.