(4 / 5)
Jack Frost is a brand new, family musical for the Cardiff Christmas Festival, which bursts onto the Spiegel Theatre Stage with boundless energy and fun. It’s a show that is great for all ages, but the magic will especially capture the imaginations of the youngest theatre goers, with a magical tale, larger than life characters and toe tapping musical numbers!
There’s no let-up in this high-octane production; I lost count of how many times Jack and Gwen Frost did laps around the theatre! The plot is an apt one for parents currently drowning in Christmas presents! The evil Kringle the Toy Tycoon is trying to steal Christmas and force parents around the world to buy his cheap plastic toys, which only last a day before breaking. To do so, he’s stolen the power behind the Northern Lights, the very thing which powers the reindeers to pull Santa’s sleigh! Enter the mischievous Jack Frost, joined by a cohort of colourful, magical friends, to thwart Kringle’s evil plans and bring back Christmas joy for all the children of the world!
The whole cast work exceptionally hard and give stellar performances all round. Logan Burrows is an instantly likeable Jack Frost; as charming and boyish as Peter Pan, with balletic grace and an instant rapport with the audience. James Rockey is malicious and spiteful as Kringle, and his song is delightfully evil. I adored the sassy Mrs Claus played by Kate Powell, especially her musical number, which brought the house down! Mia Jae plays a loveable, hilariously dry Gwen Frost; the delivery of her lines in a thick Cardiff accent brings lots of comic relief to the dramatic moments! Molly Mae Fisher multi roles and is a beautiful dancer, her pirouettes were to die for! Finally, Bryn the Bear is brought to life by David Morgan-Harding with voice by Mathew Preece. I must say, Bryn was a particular favourite of mine; a 6-foot, Welsh accented Polar Bear has got to be a highlight for anyone! I loved his dry humour, and I was very impressed with Bryn’s dancing ability!
The show is really immersive with the cast bounding amongst us all, engaging with audience members, and even taking the time to give high fives and hugs. There are some good moments for the adults in the audience with some knowing jokes in a script penned by Richard Tunley and there’s some lovely musical numbers, with music and lyrics by John Manders.
Although the set is simplistic, there’s some lovely moments, including some aerial work from Jack, soaring high above the stage, some great dance numbers which make the best use of the thrust stage, (choreographed by Holly Corsi) and some great use of the entire space which really makes the audience feel like they are a part of the magic.
If you want something to get the entire family into the Christmas spirit, from the very youngest to the vert oldest, this is a great option. There’s always a plethora of pantomimes available over the Christmas period so it was nice to see something a bit different; still full of pantomime charm, but with original songs and a plot that’s still full of fairytale charm but is a bit different from the usual Christmas theatre offering. Grab a ticket to help Jack Frost save Christmas, and you’ll leave feeling full of festive fun and cheer, whether you’re 6 or 106!
