Review: 'Frozen'

By Laura Stratford

Bryony Lavery's 'Frozen' is a chilling play that centres around three characters; Nancy - a mother whose daughter has been kidnapped, Ralph - a serial paedophile killer, and Agnethea - a psychologist.

With a horrific but intended scream at the start of the play, courtesy of Agnethea (Claire Curtis Ward), some of us in the audience didn't quite know how to react. There were some giggles and some stern faces. As soon as Agnethea suggests in a fury that she's going to take revenge on her ex by bombing the plane she's on, we were all definitely on the edge of our seats.

'Frozen' is one of those plays that slowly grows on you as you're watching the performance. This proves part of the genius of its structure. Whilst there may have been some individual monologues at the beginning that slowed down the momentum, eventually the monologues become intertwined. That's when it grips your attention and you're hooked.

It was impressive to see such a high standard of acting for what seemed like very difficult roles to play. Agnethea is an intelligent psychologist, but of a bipolar temperament. Nancy is a calm and collected, but shaking inside with grief. Ralph is a perverted serial killer of young children, but damaged mentally from an abusive childhood. Each character's copious levels were portrayed brilliantly by the cast. It was particularly interesting to see them come into the spotlight seperately at first and introduce themselves to the audience. As the play continued into Act Two, the characters eventually meet, a catalyst for touching and poignant moments. When Nancy discovers that Ralph, being treated by Agnethea, has murdered her daughter, Rona, it's evident that all three characters are inextricably linked in an unsettling way.

Credit also has to go to the tech team who managed slick transitions, and made effective and economical use of lighting and staging. The moment a light bulb suspended at the ceiling drops down when Ralph is interrogated by Agnethea, the buzz that was felt was indescribable.

'Frozen' is probably the best thing I've seen at the Drama Barn to date. With skillful direction from Joe Litchenstein, it was a phenomenal production, and definitely a tough act to follow.

You can hear Laura's full audio review, along with the an interview with Sony Award Winning journalist Mike Thomson and our preview of 'Stags and Hens', in YorWorld on the ((URY PLAYER)) here!