THE SNOW EGG by Kay Adshead. Tiebreak Theatre tour.

Young People

THE SNOW EGG
by Kay Adshead

Tiebreak Theatre tour
Runs 50 min No interval

Review Timothy Ramsden 18 November 2001 at The Bull, Barnet

Part-successful play about imagination rescuing the daily doldrums.Tommy's at his Gran's while Daddy's with Mummy in hospital, awaiting a new birth. Grandparents and children are said to get on well but this Gran's not used to children or visitors around the house and after the first day the routine of eggs and not much to do turns to boredom. Rescue comes with the imagination, as Tommy's temper turns to a tempest and an imaginary voyage leads him and as transformed Gran to the snow egg.

It's hardly writer Kay Adshead nor Tiebreak's fault that this scenario matches Mike Kenny's Puff the Magic Dragon, a truly wondrous play for the very young. But Snow Egg, for all David Farmer's neatly staged production, lacks the same certainty of contact with its audience. At times it stoops into the patronising, while its narrative pulse is fitful. The strongest points are the non-human characters representing rain and frost, and the later section after the magic, imaginative voyage begins. The piece would have been stronger if the egg itself had played more of a key role in events.

Perhaps it was just because it was a Sunday afternoon, but the performances seemed to have a lacklustre impact. And the audience participation that was invited – sounds for pouring rain and howling wind – was then incorporated only in a weary, half-hearted way.

Granny/Lady Skipper: Joy Carradice
Johnny Raindrop/Jack Frost: Zoot Lynam
Tommy: Hambi Pappas
Puppetry: Paul M. Waring

Director: David Farmer
Designer: Stefanie Mueller
Lighting: Geoff Spain
Composer: Sianed Jones

2001-11-28 01:05:19