When
the eponymous ice-cold monarch in Dundee Rep’s seasonal production of The Snow steps
up to the microphone, as played by Sophie Reid, she more resembles a pop princess
than a lost queen. The song Reid belts out too leans more towards tweenage
bubblegum euphoria picked up from Eurovision than anything more pompous.
Elsewhere in Andrew Panton’s production, the numbers possess the multi-cultural
spirit of Celtic-tinged indie-pop by way of folktronic Scandic chorales echoing
from the fjords.
This
vibrant musical reinvention of Hans Christian Andersen’s frosty folk tale is
the work of writer and lyrics Scott Gilmour and composer Claire McKenzie. As
Noisemaker, the Herald Angel winning duo are spearheading a new generation of
musical theatre-makers at home and abroad, with international collaborations
alongside theatres in America and elsewhere currently ongoing. For now, at
least, it is the pair’s current self-penned Christmas show which concerns them
most. A co-commission by Dundee Rep and the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, where it
will play in 2020, The Snow Queen is the result of an artistic investment in its
creators championed by Dundee Rep artistic director Andrew Panton over a long
period.
“We’ve
had an amazing relationship with Dundee Rep,” Gilmour explains. “We’ve worked
with Andrew for a while, and we developed our show, Little Red and the Wolf,
here. Andrew was keen for us to develop a musical Christmas show and continue
that relationship.”
Given
Panton’s own relationship with musical theatre in his other role as a visiting
professor at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, finding a story that was
right for Noisemaker was crucial. As McKenzie explains, “We always talked about
finding a story where song was important from the start rather than being
something added on.”
While
The Snow Queen wasn’t an obvious choice, it left Gilmour and McKenzie plenty to
play with.
“The
original folk tale is steeped in religion and magic,” Gilmour points out, “and
that didn’t really resonate with us. Looking at how to do it differently, we
thought about how a younger protagonist is affected by decisions made by
previous generations, and how something that was supposed to do good was
corrupted. We also wanted to find a voice for a young woman that was something
different from being a princess.”
As
McKenzie admits, “It’s a tricky one, because it’s not an obvious one to sell,
and a Christmas show is really important for any theatre, so we had to get it
right, but I think the music we’ve used lends itself to it being for the whole
family.”
Gilmour
and McKenzie joined forces as Noisemaker while they were both students at the
RCS. Gilmour was training as an actor on the BA Musical Theatre course, and has
gone on to appear in the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh’s production of A Christmas
Carol, The 306: Day with the National Theatre of Scotland in Perth, and Little
Johnny’s Big Gay Wedding with Random Accomplice. McKenzie studied composition and
musical direction, and has worked extensively at the Royal Lyceum and Citizens
Theatres, and is currently an associate artist with Dundee Rep.
The pair’s
first collaboration was on Freakshow, a piece first seen in Glasgow at the
Arches as part of the On the Verge festival of new theatre by RCS students
before an Edinburgh Festival Fringe run and transferring to the Roundhouse in London.
Five years on, Noisemaker are making waves globally, having made connections
with everyone from the Walt Disney Organisation to Goodsped Musicals in Connecticut,
where, in partnership with Dundee Rep, a new show, Hi, My Name is Ben, will be
premiering in 2019.
Closer
to home, in 2017, another Noisemaker show, Atlantic: A Scottish Story, was
awarded a Herald Angel. More recently, Noisemaker were part of the team on another
Herald Angel winning show when they composed the score for My Left/Right Foot,
Robert Softley Gale’s comic musical for Birds of Paradise and the National
Theatre of Scotland. Other shows have included Forest Boy, seen in Edinburgh,
London and New York, Ceilidh with Noise Opera and The Girl Who in Edinburgh. Another
new show, Legend Trippers, looks set to be produced by the National Youth Music
Theatre. This year as well, Noisemaker received a Scottish SME Business Award
for their writing partnership, a first for an arts organisation to be
acknowledged in this sector. All of which suggests there is something of a
renaissance in musical theatre in Scotland.
“I think
it’s definitely finding more of a voice than ever before,” says Gilmour, “and
there seems to be a real appetite for it. My Left/Right Foot came about because
Robert specifically wanted to make a musical, which was great, though you have
to be slightly careful with that notion, because if you’re not starting with a
strong story first it can potentially be quite destructive.”
McKenzie
points out that when Noisemaker started out, “it felt like there wasn’t any new
musical theatre around at all, but I think a lot of theatres cottoned on to the
fact that if you got a new musical right, that it could have a long life, and
could be really beneficial for whichever theatre it originated from.”
The
Snow Queen is testament to this, not least for the way it combines pop cultural
savvy with a song-led story that translates for young people and adults to have
fun with while not denying a more serious undertone.
“On
one level I think it works as an experience to come and see the show with
family and friends, and the story of The Snow Queen lends itself naturally to
imaginary spectacle and fun. Ultimately, though, we were attracted to the story
because it’s about empowerment for young people. Looking at some of the things going
on in the world just now, trying to find a voice in the midst of these big global
threats can sometimes feel like too much to take on, but sometimes one little
voice can make a difference.
“Whatever
lens you’re looking at that through – socially, revolutionary, politically – it
can work, and at this time of year especially, when people are looking back at
things that have happened in their lives, that can resonate with older
audiences as much as younger ones.”
The
Snow Queen, Dundee Rep until December 31.
The Herald, December 13th 2018
ends
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