FROZEN THE MUSICAL
Disney+
★★★★
“the most important thing is that it is joyously fun”
A queen who accidentally plunges Arendelle into an eternal winter, with her secret powers. The quest of her sister to find her and save their kingdom. This is the story you all know but as you’ve never seen it before. Filmed at London’s grand Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Frozen The Musical is an astonishing production that brings the songs, sorcery and wonders of the phenomenon movie to the stage, without losing any of the drama or magic of the original.
At the beginning of act one, a Greek chorus introduces a young Princess Elsa of Arendelle (Elizabeth Lyons) and her younger sister, Princess Anna (Martha Bailey Vine) playing in their bedroom. Anna, unaware of her sister’s magical powers is accidentally injured in the excitement, a scene which is the genesis of what is to follow. Sisters that will not see each other until the day before Elsa’s coronation due to the elder’s fear of hurting her sister. It is a magnificent opening to the show led by the two young actresses with excellent acting accompanied by harmonious vocals. It is remarkable how they own the space of the stage at such young ages. The only shame is that their parts are restricted by the narrative to just the prologue.
Years pass. The day before the coronation is where Samantha Barks and Laura Dawkes take over the roles of Elsa and Anna, respectively. The coronation passes without issue, however, Elsa unintentionally unleashes her powers in front of the gathered attendees, before running away to the North Mountain, unaware that she has left Arendelle in an eternal winter. Anna and ice harvester Kristoff set off after Elsa, leaving Anna’s fiancé Prince Hans, initially set up to be the Prince Charming of the piece, in charge of the kingdom.
The first act draws to a close with a powerful rendition of ‘Let it Go’ from Queen Elsa. Samantha Barks is an unstoppable force as the Queen, with extraordinary singing and authentic acting. The same is true of Laura Dawkes as Princess Anna, who demonstrates an astounding range of vocals and imperious performance, which retains its energy remarkably given that she remains on stage for almost all of the production.
The second act is equally enchanting, even if a little rushed at times. The musical contains twelve new songs alongside some of the classics of the original. This might be slightly too many as there is a noticeable drop in force of delivery when Elsa or Anna are not leading the songs. It also doesn’t quite give enough space to the story around the music, with the major plot twist of the show almost glossed over. This is a weakness as it is central to the resolution that then follows.
However, despite bringing the animated film to the stage, the show does not lose any of its magic. The film is emboldened by special effects which fall into place with perfect timing. These include instant costume changes and intriguing transitions between different sceneries. The production stretches what was thought possible for a live-action remake. The use of multiple camera angles brings us into the action. It does not feel like we are separated from the actors by a screen, it is as if we are a part of the action in a theatre or it is happening in our living rooms.
The direction (Michael Grandage) is pinpoint throughout and the dance choreography is flawless. The dancers add incredible depth to the songs, a feature that the film could not have achieved. However, the most important thing is that it is joyously fun in a natural way. In an age, of constant live-action remakes, this is certainly one worth seeing.
FROZEN THE MUSICAL
Available to stream on Disney+
Reviewed on 20th May 2025
by Luke Goscomb
Photography by Johan Persson © Disney
Reviews of other live theatre recorded screenings:
SIX THE MUSICAL LIVE | ★★★★ | April 2025
MACBETH | ★★★★ | January 2025
