Review: Jack Frost and the Search for Winter at The Playhouse, Sheffield

There are some magic visual touches in Sheffield children’s show Jack Frost and the Search for Winter, at the Playhouse until New Year’s Eve.

And actor Luca Moscardini as a body-popping Jack has his young audience gasping with spectacular standing-start somersaults and breathtaking backflips.

This year’s festive show is a move away from the puppeteer-based fairytales that have charmed the Playhouse for the last few Christmases.

This time the musical play, acted out by a hardworking cast of three, centres around schoolgirl Annika and her busy mum who is, somewhat inexplicably, frozen solid by the sudden appearance of mischievous sprite Jack Frost.

Thanks to global warming he promptly loses his powers and cannot thaw her, so Jack and Annika must head off on an adventure to not just restore his frosty talents but also melt Mum, rekindle the spirit of winter in all our hearts, and simultaneously save the planet. Or something.

Whilst billed as suitable for children aged three-plus, the storyline – a mix of Jack Frost mythology and environmental messaging – might go over the heads of young (and not so young) theatregoers.

Amidst boxes that double as chest freezers and mountains Michaela Murphy plays not just Mum but an array of kooky characters, from a Cossack and a tannoy lady in a frozen foods supermarket to an aged expeditionary, a rival singing schoolgirl, and a snow queen in a shimmering cape. Be prepared for lots of ‘why’ questions from your little ones.

But the gymnastic tumbling, frosty festoons of fairylights, and sweetly simple songs will charm children in this gently entertaining hour-long school-holiday show.

Jack Frost and the Search for Winter is at The Playhouse, Sheffield, until Saturday, December 31.