Disney's Frozen - The Musical

 

Visited-11^th May 2022 (Drury Lane London)

 

Theatre:

Frozen is currently open in one of the most popular and historic theatres in London, Drury Lane.

The theatre has recently been through a huge restoration, and everything about it looks stunning. As soon as you walk in, the entrance is hall is so grand, it felt more like a museum, and I felt quite under-dressed. There is a beautiful bar on the right hand side, a champagne bar in the centre of the foyer, and a grand staircase, all surrounded by paintings. The theatre itself is stunning with so much history, dating back to the 1600s. 

Story:

The story closely follows the highly successful 2013 film, with some references to Frozen 2, and further character development.

Cast:

The whole cast for this musical was just perfect. I was lucky enough to see the full cast, without any understudies. Stephanie McKeon as Anna played the role as Anna perfectly. Vocally she was amazing, especially with ‘Let it Go’, and ‘Monster’. Several people in the theatre including myself shed a few tears, and she had the biggest round of applause I’ve ever heard in a theatre before. Both songs gave me Goosebumps from start to finish. Craig Gallivan as Olaf was hilarious from start to finish, with some ad libbing at moments. Young Elsa and Young Anna was both brilliant (I didn’t pick up their names), but they were in the show for longer than expected. However, the stand out for me was Samantha Barks as Elsa. She was born for this role.

Songs:

I went in blind, without listening to any of original soundtrack, only knowing the songs from the films, so I didn’t know what to expect. Every single new song was so impactful, and made the show stronger. The very first song ‘Vuelie’ from the film enhanced from the orchestra was such a powerful opening, closely followed by ‘Let the sun shine on’, this set up all the characters.

‘Hygge’ which opened the second act was one of the craziest songs I’ve heard in the west end but I loved it. It brought such energy to the second act after a powerful closing first act with ‘Let it go’.

The only slight criticism I have is the Fixer Upper song in the second act. For me, it felt like it brought the tone down on the high production slightly. If they took a risk and removed this, or replaced with an original song, I think it would’ve improved the show.

 

Seat review & Cost:

The cost of this seat was only £25, which was purchased on the Monday morning via Disneydaytickets.co.uk. These seats normally cost around £79.50 on average, so it’s definitely worth checking the website out for discounts if you’re on a budget. This also applies to other Disney shows across the UK, including the Lion king and Beauty and the Beast in Manchester.

From the image, this was the best seat in the house, as you could clearly see the stage, and the surrounding walls. The audio quality from this seat was also great as you got the full effect from the surround system, similar to sitting in the centre of a theatre.

 

Technology:

As a technical geek, it always interests me to see what technology is used in theatre productions. Some of my highlights are below;

LED- Like most west end shows, Frozen does include a large LED Wall as the main backdrop, but this is more interactive. There are panels on the left and right hand side are also LED based which is mainly used in certain songs.

The wooden frames on the side of the foyer featured projections during several moments in the show.

The overall sets was worth the price of admission alone. From inside Arendelle, to Anna’s Ice Castle, you feel fully immersed in the fictional world. One set in particular was a moving bridge which kept on moving for several minutes. It really fascinated me how they did it.

Sound:

A DigicoSD7 console, along with Line Array’s speakers gave crystal clear audio for both vocals, and the live orchestra. The sound mixing was also brilliant, with some songs being boosted for louder impact. For parts of the show, it felt more like a concert.

There is an interesting blog from Peter Hylenski, the sound designer who’s been involved in several shows such as Moulin Rouge, and Beetlejuice. https://www.fast-and-wide.com/faw-news/fast-news/12266-sound-design-makes-waves-on-frozen-the-musical

 

Overall, I had such a fun evening with Frozen. I didn’t realise just how much I’d enjoy the show, with the film being average in my opinion. The theatre experience definitely elevated the franchise, going deeper into characters backgrounds, and emotions. For me, it feels like they enhanced the show to be suited more for adults and couples, but the show does stick closely to the film, keeping the children entertained. The show was hilarious and the two hours just flew by. I’ll definitely be back in the near future.