The struggle between good and evil literally falls from the heavens down to two young friends in The Snow Queen. Hans Christian Andersen’s epic fairy tale has inspired Russia’s most popular animated film series, as well as the latest show by Shanghai-based Theatre Anon.
“It’s a great journey and adventure like Alice in Wonderland and Oz,” says show director and Theatre Anon co-founder Arran Hawkins. “For me, it’s about captivating the audience, taking them somewhere else and giving them a joyous experience. That’s what theater is about.”
Told over seven stories, Hawkins notes that the show is full of strong female characters that “have lost something,” from the main character Gerda to the titular antagonist.
“Gerda is looking for her friend and even the Snow Queen might seem sinister, but she’s just lonely. There’s something missing in her life, which is why she steals children. She keeps trying to find a kid that will stay with her, but they keep freezing.”
The Snow Queen’s run from December 3-12 at Anken Green will be the second time Hawkins has brought the show to Shanghai. Adapted with actress Natasha Portwood, it sold out eight of its twelve shows during its 2010 run at the 200-seat Ke Center for Shanghai Repertory Theatre.
Original cast members Laurie Padgett Fralick and Owen Ryan will reprise their roles as the Snow Queen and the narrator. Portwood will play several characters, while overseeing art direction. The cast is rounded out by Violet Mount (5 Women Wearing the Same Dress, The Learned Ladies), Aaron Garcia (A Streetcar Named Desire, Fight Club) and Zmack’s Rich ‘Punk’ Bochniak.
Hawkins notes that this version will feature more songs and fewer cast members, requiring the actors to stay on stage for most of the show filling in a variety of roles.
“I wanted to keep The Snow Queen an ensemble and tourable,” he explains. “We want to take it to Edinburgh next year and to Brighton next Christmas.”
As director of Apphia Campbell’s Black is the Color of My Voice, Hawkins has witnessed a Shanghai-created show find a global audience. The one-woman show was a bonafide Edinburgh Fringe Festival hit last year, scoring a four-star review from The Times.
While he laughingly notes that “I turned it down twice,” Hawkins admits being reinvigorated by the show’s success. The Cornwall native first co-founded the Grinning Gargoyle theatre company with his university friends. Their annual shows became such a hit that the company achieved professional designation before the 2008 financial crisis dried up funding and led to Hawkins’ move to Shanghai.
After working closely with Shanghai Repertory Theatre for a few years, Hawkins struck out on his own in 2013. With Portwood and director Phil Knight, they started Theatre Anon with an acclaimed adaptation of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal. Earlybirds Education approached them to put on a show for kids, which led to last year’s Oz.
“We found Anon to share our passion for theatre and to take people on beautiful, moving and thought provoking journeys,” Portwood says. “I have always loved the stories of Hans Christian Andersen. Ultimately, it’s about bringing to life an exquisite and timeless fairytale to create a magical experience for both children and adults like.”
Hawkins admits that his partnership with Portwood often produces shows “that the family would love,” but as actors, they prefer dramatic roles. They’ll return to their roots next spring in the Knight-directed Dangerous Liaisons. While it’s too far away for Hawkins to divulge any details, he outlines his ambitions for Theatre Anon.
“I would like to get to the point where Theatre Anon is able to use Shanghai as a base to create shows and then to tour them away.”
> Dec 3-12, 8pm (Thurs-Sat) and 3pm matinee shows (Sat-Sun), RMB180-200. Anken Green, tickets. See event listing.
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