Snowstorm - A Frozen Adventure

FIREBIRD IS A BREATHTAKING FAMILY-FRIENDLY FESTIVE SPECTACULAR

Arriving literally just before the show started was never the most relaxing way to enjoy a Christmas theatre trip, however the relief of finally getting a car park space among the hordes of Boxing Day sale shoppers perhaps amplified the enjoyment of what turned out to be a gripping family day out.

The irony that Gandey's Big Top (and the adjacent Jurassic World Exhibition) was using up one of the Trafford's biggest overflow car parks would not have been lost on the many latecomers but, once seated in the warm circus tent, around the small ice rink stage, any pre-show stress was soon replaced by an engrossing experience for the next hour and a half.  

I have always been intrigued by travelling circuses, and having encountered a few along the route of a long distance bicycle ride from Lithuania to Magdeburg in Germany, barely a month earlier, I had seen first hand the excitement they can bring to small towns and villages in which they peg their Big Tops. But here, at the Trafford Centre, with a catchment area far wider and more metropololtan than would perhaps be traditional for such entertainment - and not having attended a Gandey's Circus event before - my expectations probably veered more towards an amateur dramatics show than the multi-million pound productions of the likes of Cirque du Soleil or Afrika! Afrika!, who would typically pitch up on the edge of a big city.

How wrong was I. The portaloo toilets aside, the production and setting of Snowstorm - Firebird was certainly on the higher-end of the scale that you would expect from international visiting shows.  

Part circus, part ice dance show, Gandey's fourth annual festive spectacular delivers something for all ages, albeit only for adults with strong nerves and low blood pressure, with many of the aeriel stunts delivering heart-in-mouth moments which the more carefree younger members of the audience are able to overlook, while at the same time presumably taking inspiration to try and recreate at home, much to their parent's anxiety.

The story, performed by world-class skaters and top international circus performers (who also happen to be able to skate pretty well too) follows a mythical firebird who loses her wings and needs to complete a series of tasks to be reunited with them. What follows is a mixture of ice dances and breathtaking stunts, interlaced with plenty of pantomime laughs and "he's behind you!" moments to keep the kids enthralled throughout.

Without wanting to give too much away, the numerous circus acrobatics deliver plenty of "ooh" and "aahh" moments, inviting comments like "how did she not bang her head on the ice?" or "I thought he was going to fall off,"  - presumably, if it ever goes wrong, it must go seriously wrong! - while the ice dance routines equally impress, with the large cast complemented by costumes and staging which are equally splendid despite such a small ice rink serving as the stage.

As the happily satisified crowds dispersed from the Big Top afterwards, heading back to their cars which had been dumped randomly on whatever pavement, double yellow line or grass verge they could find before the show, it was interesting to listen in on people's conversations about their favourite part of what they had seen. It came as no surprise to me that the answers varied so much from person to person that almost every aspect of the show was covered, and I can only presume there are plenty of repeat visits, if not for Snowstorm Firebird, but for Gandey's next visiting production.

If you haven't yet seen it, make sure you do so before the circus packs up its tent and leaves town on the 5th January.

WE SCORE SNOWSTORM - FIREBIRD...