Life Begins 50+ Magazine Winter 2013 | Page 33

32-33_Life_begins_Template 19/11/2013 15:55 Page 2 entertainment The Snowman flies into Southampton in January . by Jason Harris Celebrating 15 spellbinding years on the stage the live version of Raymond Briggs’ much-loved children’s classic, The Snowman, visits the Mayflower Theatre from 21 – 25 January 2014 to enchant audiences of all ages. Sparkling with charm and wit, The Snowman tells the magical story of a young boy’s adventures when his snowman comes miraculously to life on Christmas Eve. A glittering host of international snowmen and snowwomen are joined onstage by an array of colourful characters including dancing penguins, magical reindeer, a beautiful snow princess and her abominable beau Jack Frost and of course, Father Christmas himself. With its joyful combination of classic storytelling, music and dance, The Snowman is an enchanting treat for all the family. The Snowman first appeared as a beautifully illustrated picture book by Raymond Briggs in 1978. It has since inspired the classic Oscar Nominated, BAFTA Award winning animated film, first transmitted by Channel 4 on Christmas Eve, 1982. The film’s signature song Walking in the Air, by Howard Blake, reached number 3 in the UK charts when sung by choirboy Aled Jones in 1985, and the song was recently voted no 2 in a poll conducted by Classic FM to find out children’s favourite pieces of classical music, beating Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf and Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy amongst others. “ “ This is sheer theatrical magic. Go see The Snowman and melt The Times Since its premiere at Birmingham Repertory Theatre in 1997 the live stage show of The Snowman has thrilled audiences at The Peacock Theatre, London for 15 years. The show made it’s international debut at the Seoul Opera House, Korea in 2009. In 2012 a performance of the stage show was filmed in the auditorium of Birmingham Repertory Theatre - the show’s birthplace - with a live audience, 14 cameras and a superb narration by Joanna Lumley. It is now on major DVD release in the UK but comes to Southampton for the first time in January. The Snowman is showing at The Mayflower, Southampton from Tuesday 21 – Saturday 25 January 2014. Suitable for children aged four and upwards, Strictly's ANTON DU BEKE returns to the Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre with special guest SUMMER STRALLEN! The Nation’s favourite Ballroom dancer ANTON DU BEKE is back once again with a thrilling new show to wow audiences across the UK - including a date at the Bournemouth Pavilion on 23rd Fe