Scottish Ballet: The Snow Queen, Edinburgh review: 'not short on sparkle'
Although this production of The Snow Queen has its darker moments, there are enough dancing snowflakes and capering clowns to keep things feeling festive, writes Kelly Apter
Scottish Ballet: The Snow Queen, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh ★★★★
Christmas ballets are best known for their colourful baubles and feel-good festivities, but while The Snow Queen isn’t short on sparkle, that’s not what shines brightest here.
Perhaps as a result of a year spent performing challenging narrative pieces, The Crucible and Mary, Queen of Scots, the dancers of Scottish Ballet are looking particularly strong. Equally, the Scottish Ballet Orchestra works magic with the assortment of Rimsky-Korsakov pieces that choreographer Christopher Hampson has set his story to.
First seen in 2019, this production of The Snow Queen is inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s original folk tale, but Hampson has made it his own by borrowing the relationship at the heart of Disney’s Frozen and giving the Queen a sister - a “Summer Princess” beautifully danced by Melissa Polson. Keen to track down the man of her dreams, the Princess heads away from the Ice Palace and into the city, dressed in disguise as the mischievous Lexi. Here she encounters a bustling community readying itself for Christmas (and ripe for pick-pocketing), and a witty travelling circus.
As always, Hampson has given his company much to get their teeth into choreographically. Aside from Polson’s star turn, Jessica Fyfe has a steely strength as the titular monarch, and Kayla-Maree Tarantolo exhibits real poignancy as the lovelorn Gerda missing her fiancé. When she passes through a Traveller camp in search of him, we’re gifted an energetic ensemble routine that’s all swirling skirts and tight synchronisation.
Although darker than the average festive ballet, both in terms of storyline and design (the wonderful Les Brotherson once again capturing the mood perfectly with his set and costumes), there are enough dancing snowflakes and capering clowns to keep things light. But it is the boundless talent on stage and in the orchestra pit that holds our attention from first note to last kiss.
Scottish Ballet’s The Snow Queen is at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh until 7 December; Theatre Royal, Glasgow, 3-17 January; His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, 21-24 January; and Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, 28-31 January
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