Zoë Jackson and her two-year-old son enjoy The Snow Mouse at the egg theatre, Bath. The play runs until 22 January.
Stepping into the beautifully transformed Roper Room with drapes of wonderful whites and twinkling textiles, The Snow Mouse immediately transports its audience into a magical snowy wonderland. Dressed for winter adventures in a woolly vest, bobble hat and binoculars, the central character, a young boy (beautifully played by the grown up performer Gergo Danka), smiles and rubs his hands together – “It’s cold!”, he tells us, inviting us into the already initimate setting.
Perfectly pitched to captivate the young audience (and their carers!), The Snow Mouse sees laugh out loud giggles from the start as the boy skids on shiny ice puddles and has fun in the snow, convincingly created using a variety of fabrics and textures. He engages the children, throwing snowballs backwards and forwards, blowing powder snow and makes a snowman.
As the audience warms up, it’s time to discover the Snow Mouse, a brilliantly crafted puppet with green dungarees and bright eyes.
The story unfolds with the two characters playing in the snowy forest, with more chuckles as the mouse slides about on the ice, while they also enjoy a picnic together and climb up a mountain, cleverly executed using the set and sound effects. The excitement reaches its peak as they find a toboggan and take off through the air reminiscent of The Snowman. “That was fun, Snow Mouse!” says the boy, before asking, “Snow Mouse …. Snow Mouse ?!” The wind whistles in the air and the audience shivers in response. There is genuine concern amongst the viewers and gasps slip out as the mouse is discovered upside down in the snow.
Smiles and sighs of relief as the Snow Mouse is brushed off OK but cold. Wrapped tightly in a scarf, it’s time to go home. The lighting changes, soft music and the set becomes even more magical, sunlight glints everywhere, the white tree twinkles with pearly pink and there is a welcoming window lit with golden light.
A final treat, a present for the Snow Mouse and it’s a tiny scarf to keep him warm.
The fuzzy glow from this gorgeous play stayed with me and my 2 year son for the rest of day. A real winter treat.