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The Snow Queen (Abridged Version)

Short Play

Ron Nicol, Hans Christian Andersen

An abridged version of Ron Nicol's popular full-length dramatisation of the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale.

The Snow Queen (Abridged Version)

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  • Duration
    Duration
    60 minutes (1 hour)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptation (Literature)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for All Audiences
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The Snow Queen (Nicol)

Details

Summary

A dramatisation of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic story “The Snow Queen” – not a version of Disney’s Frozen.

Gerda, a little girl, searches for her friend Kai when he’s kidnapped by the Snow Queen. With the help of a Crow and a Reindeer, Gerda travels to the Far North, where she confronts the Snow Queen in her ice palace and releases Kai.

A one-act version of Ron Nicol’s full-length adaptation.

History
Premiere UK production: 15 July 2017 – The Authentic Performance Academy, North Wall Arts Centre, Oxford
Premiere USA production: 15 July 2017 – The Junior Intern Company, Barn Playhouse, New London, New Hampshire
Keywords
Performing Groups

CHARACTERS
(in order of speaking)

FIRST TROLL
SECOND TROLL
THIRD TROLL
OLD TROLL
GERDA
KAY
GRANDMOTHER
SNOW QUEEN
CROW
FIRST ROBBER
SECOND ROBBER
THIRD ROBBER
OLD HAG
ROBBER GIRL
REINDEER
LAPP WOMAN
FINN WOMAN
SNOW QUEEN’S ICE ATTENDANTS (non-speaking)

There are 17 speaking characters, with possibilities for doubling, trebling or even quadrupling of roles – Grandmother, the Old Hag, the Lapp Woman and/or the Finn Woman could all be played by the same person, for example. There can be any number of trolls, robbers and Ice Attendants. Several characters can be either male or female, but as there isn’t a gender-neutral pronoun in English “he” has been used throughout and should be changed where necessary.

There are 17 speaking characters with a wide age range and opportunities for doubling and trebling of roles. Several characters can be male or female.

  • Time Period Not Applicable
  • Setting

    Various locations in Denmark, Lapland, Finland and the Snow Queen’s ice palace.

  • Features Fantasy Costumes
  • Additional Features No Intermission
  • Duration 60 minutes (1 hour)
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

“A fairy-tale treat!” – Arts Archive

“Takes the audience on a magical journey.” – Swansea Little Theatre

“A special poignancy and power.” – This is South Wales

“The play has everything.” – Heathfield School

“A great show for the whole family.” – Coastal FM

“Moving and wonderfully warm.” – Faust International Youth Theatre, Hong Kong

“So excited to do my third production of your briliant plays. You are such an inspiration and your scripts create such joy for us as we get to create in your magical worlds. Thank you so much.” – Liesl Settgas. Stagenorth Groundlings

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £30 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

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Authors

Ron Nicol

Ron Nicol

Ron Nicol is an award-winning Scottish playwright published in the UK, the United States and the Netherlands. He has written more than 50 one-act dramas, comedies, plays for young people, full-length plays and pantomimes, and his work has been produced in the UK, Ireland, USA ...

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Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales make up a necessary componenant to any collection of fairy tales. In fact, Andersen's life was like a fairy tale in many ways. Out of the poverty, hardship, and loneliness of his youth, he came to be one of the most honored men of his tim ...
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