Vidar Hjarding MBE - The Snowman, Audio Described Theatre Review

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey is joined again by Vidar Hjarding MBE, Inclusion and Diversity Consultant for ITV News across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the channel Islands for the next in his regular Connect Radio audio described theatre reviews.

This time Vidar was reviewing the longest running Christmas show in English Theatre history, ‘The Snowman’ at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre with live audio description by Julia Grundy and Caroline Smith.

This is the theatre production of the classic film directed by Dianne Jackson and produced by John Coates which was first shown on Channel 4 on Boxing Day 1982.

Based on Raymond Brigg’s much-loved book and featuring Howard Blake’s classic song Walking In The Air, this enchanting live show has thrilled audiences throughout the world since first appearing on stage over twenty-five years ago, going on to become the West End’s longest running Christmas show.

When a young boy’s snowman comes to life on Christmas Eve, the two set off on a night-time quest for adventure. They meet Father Christmas, dancing penguins, reindeer and crowds of The Snowman’s friends, but will they escape evil Jack Frost and get back home for Christmas morning?

Vidar began by metaphorically taking Toby ‘Walking in the Air’ as the famous song by Harold Blake goes and he explained to Toby how a show like The Snowman, which is purely a magical Christmas dance production with no dialogue at all apart from Farther Christmas going ‘Ho, Ho, Ho’ was brought to life to him through the well crafted audio description by Julia Grundy and Caroline Smith.  

Sadly due to Covid restrictions there was not the opportunity of a touch tour to explore some of the 60 costumes that are used in the production including 11 alone for The Snowman. 

As Vidar is a real fan of anything to do with Christmas ‘The Snowman’ always features on his Christmas theatre wish list and hopefully next year when the longest running Christmas show in English Theatre returns to the Birmingham Rep there will be the opportunity for blind and partially sighted patrons to go on a touch tour to explore the costumes, props and the set of this magical production too. 


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