Review of The Snow Queen at the Old Electric

The Snow Queen has enthralled audiences for centuries and brought a sprinkle of winter magic to Blackpool’s newest theatre.

The Electric Sunshine Project have spent over five years working to make the arts more accessible across the Fylde. Melanie Whitehead’s community-led arts company took over the Old Electric theatre on Springfield Road in July 2021.

Drama gives a real confidence boost, and after being so badly hit during the pandemic it’s wonderful for these enthusiastic creatives to have their own space to perform.

The town-centre based amateur thespians delivered an enjoyable and polished show for just a fiver. Lisa Reynolds and Luke Berryman starred as best friends Gerda and Kai, whose childlike enthusiasm delighted the crowd. The two youngsters have a heartwarming dynamic with their grandma, played by Liz Wilkinson - until a spell is cast on Kai, turning him into a stroppy brat who mocks his old dear.

T Dunderdale played a convincing snow queen - on rollerblades. The youth-obsessed glamourpuss projected chilling monologues with frosty air of menace and not a hair out of place.

A light-box puppet show by Berryman and Dunderdale was a clever way of showing the far-off ice kingdom,. Artistic Director, Melanie Whitehead, and the cast, clearly had fun with low-budget props and lighting ideas - after all, the moral of this timeless fairytale shines through with no need for big production.