ROSE THEATRE KINGSTON ANNOUNCES
FULL CAST FOR THE SNOW QUEEN
Rose Theatre Kingston presents
The Snow Queen
A new version written and directed by Ciaran McConville
Music & Lyrics, Orchestrations & Musical Direction: Eamonn O’Dwyer;Set Designer: David Farley; Costume Designer: Peter Todd; Lighting Designer: Charlie Morgan Jones; Sound Designer: Ella Wahlström; Associate Director & Voice Coach: Josh Mathieson; Choreographer: Aimee Leigh; Puppet Director: Yvonne Stone; Puppet Designer & Maker: Oliver Hymans; Fight Director: Jessica Hrabowsky for True Edge; Casting Directors: Lucy Jenkins CDG & Sooki McShane CDG; Production Manager: Kate Edwards; Props Supervisor: Taylor & Foley; Costume Supervisor: Annie James.
Rose Theatre Kingston
6 December 2019 – 5 January 2020
Rose Theatre Kingston today announces the full cast for its festive new version of the Hans Christian Andersen classic The Snow Queen written by Ciaran McConville,who returns to the theatre following last year’s successful adaptation of Hansel & Gretel. McConvilledirects a cast of local young actors from Rose Youth Theatre led by a team of professional actors including Helena Blackman (The Snow Queen), Roger May (Dad/Father Christmas), Davina Moon (Freya), Parisa Shahmir (Gerda) and Jack Wolfe (Kai). The production opens on 13 December 2019, with previews from 6 December, and runs until 5 January 2020.
Tucked away in a long forgotten corner of the city is an orphanage. Here Gerda discovers that she is no ordinary teenager, but a Child of Magic, hidden from the reaches of the evil Snow Queen. When she shows her powers to her best friend Kai, she unwittingly reveals their whereabouts. Kai is lured away, and Gerda must journey to the Frozen North into the Queen’s clutches to save him.
Her perilous adventure includes an unlikely pirate captain and a talking reindeer, secretive elves and vicious trolls. As the Snow Queen rallies her forces, Gerda must learn the true nature of her magic powers to save Christmas and rescue Kai.
This Christmas, be enchanted by Hans Christian Andersen’s powerful tale of love, magic and self-realisation. This glittering new adaptation features a wealth of local talent from the Rose Youth Theatre alongside a professional cast.
Ciaran McConville writes and directs. His writing credits for the Rose include Hansel & Gretel, Alice in Winterland, The Wind in the Willows, A Christmas Carol, Our Town: A Kingston Story, In the Way of Peace, Scenes from Childhood and Stay With Me. Other credits include Beast Quest (Hampton Court Palace), The Enchanted Story Trail (RHS Garden Wisley), Stones (Sutton Theatres), Snowbound (Trafalgar Studios), My Father the Angel (National Theatre Studio), These Four Walls, Shostakovich The Last Symphony, Touched by Fire, The Man Who Dreamed (Edinburgh Festival Fringe), MiracleBoy (Bad Physics), Crooked Little House (Battersea Arts Centre), Immortal (Courtyard Theatre) and The Settling Dust (Union Theatre). McConville’s adaptations include Heart of Darkness, The Jungle Book, Treasure Island, Nineteen Eighty-Four, The Trial, Arabian Nights, Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Oliver Twist, Frankenstein and the hit show Horrible Histories Ruthless Romans, which toured internationally. He is also a founding director of Debut Theatre Company.
Helena Blackman plays The Snow Queen. Her theatre credits include Shout!, Titanic, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, South Pacific (UK tours), Kingmaker (The Other Palace/SFTW), But First This (The Watermill Theatre), My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music (Kilworth House Theatre), Gay’s The Word (Finborough Theatre), Impotent (Lion and Unicorn), A Winter’s Tale (Landor Theatre), Little Women (Playhouse Theatre), Noel & Gertie (Cockpit Theatre), The Secret Garden (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Saturday Night (Arts Theatre), The Wizard of Oz (Leicester Haymarket) and Gypsy (Wales Millennium Centre). Her television credits include Pennyworth.
Roger May returns to Rose Theatre Kingston to playDad/Father Christmas; he previously appeared in The Winslow Boy. His theatre credits include Romeo and Juliet (US tour), The Pitman Painters (New Vic Theatre), For All Time (Rye Arts Festival), The Railway Children, Time and Time Again (UK tours), The President’s Holiday (Hampstead Theatre), The Last Confession (Chichester Festival Theatre/Theatre Royal Haymarket), Private Lives (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Troilus and Cressida (Edinburgh International Festival/RSC), Twelfth Night (Nuffield Southampton Theatres) and Richard III (RSC). His television credits include recurring character Oliver Clarke in Doctors, Father Brown, An Adventure in Space and Time, The Hour, MI High, Broadside, Britz, Shackleton, The Cazalets and Horatio Hornblower: The Duel. For radio, he is a series regular on The Archers.
Davina Moon plays Freya. Her theatre credits include The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson, Yellow Face (Park Theatre), The Mirror Crack’d (Salisbury Playhouse), Double Act (Polka Theatre), Yellow Face (National Theatre), Privates on Parade (Noël Coward Theatre), Around the World (Sadler’s Wells), Celebration (Watford Place Theatre), Wuthering Heights (Lyric Hammersmith), Annie Get Your Gun (Young Vic), Wah! Wah! Girls (Sadler’s Wells/Kneehigh), Britain’s Got Bhangra (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Bombay Dreams (Apollo Victoria) and Miss Saigon (Theatre Royal Drury Lane). Her film credits include Dirty God, Military Wives and All the Children are Sleeping.
Parisa Shahmir plays Gerda. Her theatre credits include We Live in Cairo (American Repertory Theatre), The Last Ship (Northern Stage), Mamma Mia! (UK tour), UCAS (Edinburgh Festival Fringe) and Just So (Bridewell Theatre); and for film, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!.
Jack Wolfe plays Kai. His theatre credits include Sweeney Todd (Lyric Theatre, Belfast), Pinocchio (National Theatre), The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party (Chipping Campden) and The Braille Legacy (Charing Cross Theatre). His television credits include Father Brown.
The Snow Queen Listings
Rose Theatre Kingston
24-26 High Street, Kingston, KT1 1HL
6 December 2019 – 5 January 2020
Twitter: @Rosetheatre
Facebook: /RoseTheatreKingston
Instagram: RoseTheatreKingston
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Fri 6 Dec 6pm
Sat 7 Dec 1pm & 6pm
Mon 9 Dec 2pm
Tue 10 Dec 2pm
Thu 12 Dec 2pm
Fri 13 Dec 7pm
Sat 14 Dec 1pm & 6pm
Sun 15 Dec 11am & 5:30pm
Fri 20 Dec 11am & 5:30pm
Sat 21 Dec 11am & 5:30pm
Sun 22 Dec 11am & 5:30pm
Mon 23 Dec 11am & 5:30pm
Tue 24 Dec 11am & 4pm
Thu 26 Dec 11am & 5:30pm
Fri 27 Dec 11am & 5:30pm
Sat 28 Dec 11am (Audio Described Performance) & 5:30pm
Sun 29 Dec 11am & 5:30pm
Mon 30 Dec 11am & 5:30pm
Tue 31 Dec 11am & 5:30pm
Thu 2 Jan 5:30pm
Fri 3 Jan 11am (Relaxed Performance) & 5:30pm
Sat 4 Jan 11am (Signed Performance) & 5:30pm
Sun 5 Jan 3pm
Box Office: 020 8174 0090
Monday – Saturday: 10am – 8pm (6pm non-performance days)
Sunday: at least one hour before the performance
Concessions: Only one discount per ticket, subject to availability
Over 60 & children under 16: £10 off top three prices.
Unwaged, entertainment union, and Students: £5 off top three prices.
Access: Patrons with disabilities enjoy £10 tickets for them and their companion.
Contact Box Office on 020 8174 0090 for more details and to book.
Sensory Access: A digital hearing system is available for patrons with a hearing aid, and Sennheiser headsets for patrons without a hearing aid. Guide and hearing dogs are welcome. Please let us know in advance so we can provide a dog-sitter and water bowl.
Learning Disabilities: Please contact us in advance to discuss how we can help make your visit as comfortable as possible, on 020 8174 0090 or email [email protected]