The Snowflake – Birmingham Rep

Writer: Benji Davies

Adaptor and Director: Matt Aston

A darkened labyrinth leads to the Rep’s The Door studio space where startled toddlers and parents alike are welcomed by myriad hanging paper snowflakes and fluffy, subtly lit hanging clouds (repurposed donated duvets we are informed).Without doubt, all are in for a fifty-minute feast of innocent Advent wonder-scapes.

Young Noelle aka Nolly (Layla Mehay-Bennett) shares a problem with her maternal grandfather, Pappie, a double role played alongside that of her mother by Heidi Goldsmith. Pappie is an adored storyteller with the knack of leaving Nolly in suspense waiting the ending. Her homework problem? Write a story/poem about a Snowflake. What unfolds might take the more senior grandparents present harkening back to the days of Play School, Jackanory, Blue Peter, even Watch With Mother. An age of simple sets, Oliver Postgate animations and ‘The spottiest dog in the Whole World.’*

In Nolly’s dreams, she encounters a newly formed single snowflake, adrift and frightened in the wintry sky’s wilderness. Youngsters as yet un-bludgeoned by rampant CGI and endemic Smartphone obsession, are in for an utter lo-fi special effects treat. A dinner plate possibly (and it may well be a repurposed picnic paper one, they’re good at that) is transformed into a fluffy-faced snowflake, ingeniously lit up and held aloft on a long pole. Cue young audience’s spontaneous ‘Ahhs!’ Even better, on walks a magical head-mask smiling and talking ‘cloud’ with animated eyebrows. Double ‘Ahhs!’ That’s it, the cast knows they’ve got their audience captivated.

The gentle message relies upon crisp dialogue, narrative clarity, and song and dance, with emphasis on the strength of friendship, cooperation, love, and determination to succeed. There is a particular emphasis on the concept of Tribes. Interesting. There is one specific scene that holds memorable magic when seemingly innocuous suitcase-sized boxes are transformed into illuminated models of village shops: the butcher, the baker perhaps even a draper. All crowned off with a spectacular shop-display Christmas tree. One that Nolly knows they can never have at home because of Pappie’s pesky puppet dog. There’s a finale charming theme song reprise with a clap-along celebration topped off with a disco glitter-ball and a glorious downfall of dog-paw-sized ’snowflakes’ that sends the little’ns bonkers potty with delight.

This is a Christmas cracker of a show, fifty minutes near perfect, targets its audience with adroit panache led by solid acting: all in all a very tight run ship with copper-bottomed conviction. The technical production is both highly imaginative and light-touch commendable. Both Polka and Little Angel Theatres have a dedicated ethos towards innovative and inspirational work with young people and are highly regarded and valued by peers and critics with Polka alone engaging with some 21,000 aspiring creatives ages 0-12 last year alone. Mother of two bedazzled twins occupied with whom has collected the most post-show snowflakes suggests in true Brummie tradition – she’d give it Foive! Who’s to argue with that?

*The Woodentops, BBC.

Runs until 12 January 2024