THEATRE REVIEW: It may have been a sunny Sunday afternoon in Bunbury, but The New Lyric Theatre on Bourke Street was captured in the icy underworld of The Snow Queen.
Theatre enthusiasts flocked to the theatre to enjoy the combined talents of the Bunbury Musical Comedy Group and The Stagelight Youth Theatre, bringing to life the well-known Hans Christian Andersen story.
The audience was brought to attention by musical director Lyndon Edwards before the first actor took the stage, who delivered music by Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg.
The musical took flight with a mesmerising introduction from The Hobgoblin Queen (Caris Read), who sang to us about her evil plan to turn good people bad by planting icy glass in their hearts.
From there we were taken on a journey with siblings Karl and Gerda (Joshua Jacob and Abigael Russell) after Karl is stolen away by the Snow Queen (Taneeka Martin) and Gerda must trek across the countryside to bring him home.
The lasting impression left by this enchanting story was the outstanding talents of the young performers.
This production has a cast of 32 with 24 of those performers ranging from seven to 17 years old.
The faultless execution of their lines and delivery of songs, particularly from female lead Abigael Russell, was incredibly impressive, along with the confidence it takes to stand up and perform in front of the community.
Mature actors accompanied the youngsters with memorable characters including the feisty robber girl (Caris Read) and the delightful grandmother (Jenean Halket) and vile old robber woman (Maureen Davies).
The performance added another layer of talent when the students of the Studio of Classical and Contemporary Dance took the stage to perform The Snowflake Ballet, twisting and twirling with expert precision.
Another round of performances of The Snow Queen will come to the New Lyric Theatre on Saturday, August 30 and Sunday, August 31 at 2pm with an evening performance on Friday, August 29 at 8pm.
Visit the BREC Box Office or contact BREC Ticketing on 1300 661 272.
WIN! WIN! WIN!
entertainment has a double pass to the Snow Queen to give away to a lucky reader. To enter, email your name and details to editor.bunbur ymail@fairfaxmedia.com.au
The winner will be contacted on Thursday, August 28.
- By Shanelle Miller.