The Snowman

This show has now closed, click here for a listing of current and future London shows

The Snowman at the Peacock Theatre in London was first seen in December 1998, and subsequently annually each Christmas, most recently from 2 December 2009 to 10 January 2010.

The stage version of Raymond Briggs' well-loved book The Snowman continues to delight children everywhere as it returns to the London's Peacock Theatre once again!

When a boy's snowman comes to life on Christmas Eve, the two friends set off and a night-time quest for adventure. On their travels, they meet dancing penguins, reindeer and crowds of the Snowman's friends. Watch spell-bound as the Snowman soars through the night sky, escaping the clutches of the evil Jack Frost to return home for Christmas morning.

"As traditional as mince pies and Santa Claus" Time Out

The music an lyrics are by Howard Blake and feature the haunting 'Walking in the Air'. The Snowman is directed by award-winning director Bill Alexander and choreographed by Robert North. Originally seen at The Birmingham Repertory Theatre, this production of The Snowman was first seen in London in December 1998, and subsequently annually each Christmas at The Peacock Theatre.

"It doesn't come much better at Christmas" The Guardian

The Snowman in London is suitable for all children aged two and upwards. This show provides a captivating mix of dance, stagecraft and music and features a live orchestra. It is the perfect introduction to dance for the very young.

"The roar of delight when the second act began said it all" The Sunday Times

"Fantasy, as the escapist charm of Bill Alexander's production of The Snowman reminds us, is the best and safest form of travel: you reach places you only dreamed of seeing and meet people you never imagined you would encounter. Judging by last night's reception this Snowman may well become a Christmas hot number for the under-eights, even if his stay last night was too protracted, particularly for some young minds and for my far older body. This stage adaptation of Raymond Briggs's novel has come through several filters but keeps its original, airy flights of imagination in its new dance version. Briggs's novel formed the basis of the 1982 animated film with Howard Blake's music and lyrics. And the scenario for this production has been prepared by Blake, Alexander and Robert North, who also dynamically choreographs." The London Evening Standard

"You will not find anything much better at Christmas. That was the opinion of a colleague when Bill Alexander's staging of Raymond Briggs's picture-story was presented at Birmingham Rep last year and, if she did not altogether speak for me, she certainly spoke for those with a taste for humorous whimsy and for ballet ably performed by cheerful fatties in white fur... Only when carol singers gather onstage with an, improbable array of wind instruments, or when airborne principals are giving voice to a ditty about the moonlit sky, do we hear the human voice. But Howard Blake's music never stops twinkling happily away, and the mime and dance are not exactly unfathomable." The Times

"You couldn't praise this stage version of Raymond Briggs' The Snow man for its script: it doesn't have one. And this is one of its charms. The show, directed by Bill Alexander, uses music, movement and dance to tell the story of the little boy's adventures with his snowman. In a world where most children's entertainment is loud, raucous, even hysterical, this gentle tale and style come as a welcome relief. And, because it is wordless, it relies partly on the imagination of the children to meet it half-way, which they do. It is simple, rather old-fashioned, and utterly charming... My expert reviewers (aged three and five) were entranced throughout." The Financial Times

Ballet and dance productions in London this Christmas 2009 and New Year 2010:

The Snowman: From 2 December 2009 to 10 January 2010 at the Peacock Theatre
Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake: From 10 December 2009 to 24 January 2010 at Sadler's Wells Theatre
The Nutcracker (The Royal Ballet): From 26 Nov 2009 to 1 Jan 2010 at The Royal Opera House
Sleeping Beauty (The Royal Ballet): From 23 Oct 2009 to 23 Jan 2010 at The Royal Opera House
Tales of Beatrix Potter/Les Patineurs (Royal Ballet): From 14 Dec to 13 Jan at The Royal Opera House
The Nutcracker (English National Ballet): From 16 Dec 2009 to 3 Jan 2010 at the London Coliseum
The Snow Queen (English National Ballet): From 8 to 17 January 2010 at the London Coliseum
Giselle (English National Ballet): From 20 to 23 January 2010 at the London Coliseum