NEWS TICKER
Published on
September 9, 2021
FROZEN the musical West End - Review round up
By
douglasmayo
Disney's Frozen the musical West End opened last night at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Another animated Disney blockbuster comes to the stage starring Samantha Barks and Stephanie McKeon and is directed by Michael Grandage.
Samantha Barks as Elsa in Frozen. Photo: Johan Persson It hasn't been too long since the hoardings came down from around the Theatre Royal Drury Lane which has just received a major restoration and renovation just in time for Disney's Frozen the musical West End which has now officially opened.
Incredible special effects, stunning costumes and jaw-dropping scenery bring Elsa and Anna’s journey to life in a whole new way. And with all the beloved songs from the movie – as well as a few surprises from the writers behind Let it Go – you’ll be transported to Arendelle from the moment the curtain rises.
Frozen the musical is brought to the stage by an award-winning creative team, with direction by Tony® and Olivier Award winner Michael Grandage and a book by Academy® and BAFTA Award winner Jennifer Lee. The show features the cherished songs from the original film alongside new songs by Grammy® and Academy Award-winning writers Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.
Obioma Ugoala as Kristoff and Sven. Photo: Johan Persson So after all the hype and built up What did the critics make of Frozen the musical London.
The Guardian ✭✭✭✭✭
The 2013 film was met with acclaim, Oscars and delirium. Does this adaptation live up to that hefty legacy? Yes, and perhaps it even exceeds it. This is a show every bit as magical as the animation, packed with visual thrills and gorgeous choreography (by Rob Ashford) alongside signature ballads that gain greater power in their live incarnation. It is big on spectacle yet never loses control with special effects that yield some dazzling coups de theatre.
Time Out ✭✭✭✭ The musical version of ‘Frozen’ is an awesome spectacle with more heart, depth and darkness than the film This isn’t ‘Frozen’ for adults, a dark new take on ‘Frozen’, or a radical reinvention by spectacle like ‘The Lion King’. But it’s a thoughtful, attractive and human spin that manages to balance a Drury Lane-size spectacle with recognising what audiences want from ‘Frozen’, and subtly bringing it a little closer to ‘The Snow Queen’. If the film is a pre-school classic, the musical is maybe a couple of years more grown-up. But its most magical moments will wow every age group.
Stephanie McKeon as Anna and Oliver Ormson as Hans. Photo: Johan Persson
The Stage ✭✭✭✭ Stunning performances There are cute kids, knockout songs, whizzes, bangs, an inspiring tale of sorority and a loveable sidekick snowman. Buttressed by Barks and McKeon, whose voices are divine alone and heavenly together, Frozen, despite its structural flaws, eventually manages to thaw even the iciest of hearts.
The Telegraph ✭✭✭ The Venue puts the show in the shade The romance of the place, from the jaw-dropping vistas on arrival to the opulence of the re-configured auditorium, builds incredible audience excitement. But while the ambience is faultless, that finesse points up how cursory Frozen sometimes feels. The venue is a sensation; the show, despite flurries of potency and a brace of songs you go in humming, is serviceable. Beside Disney’s theatrical masterstroke, The Lion King, it looks a lot like a poor relation.
Samantha Barks as Elsa and Stephanie McKeon as Anna. Photo: Johan Persson
Daily Express The new London production that's bigger and better than Broadway Diehard fans of the cartoon will be in heaven as everything they know and love is recreated before their eyes, but the show also delights in surprising audiences, nowhere more than in the bonkers Act 2 opening number Hygge, set in a Scandi sauna.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNc_wiYob0Y
Evening Standard London ✭✭✭ This long-awaited West End stage version feels lukewarm. Fans of the hit 2013 Disney film will doubtless love it, but this musical stage adaptation of Frozen left me cold. On the plus side, it’s full of dazzle and wit, with powerhouse central performances by sharp-edged Samantha Barks and winningly goofy Stephanie McKeon as sisters Elsa and Anna. Puppet snowman Olaf – operated and voiced by Craig Gallivan – is a joy, and the refurbished Drury Lane looks ravishing.
Frozen is now playing at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane