See The Snowsmith at Norwich Theatre from
​December 6th-17th 2023 ​& on tour!

'a tale of determination with plenty of magic'
(Hertfordshire Mercury, 2022)
​'heartwarming and magical'
(Mum's Guide to Hertford, 2022)
​What can unite the grumpy town of Thawmor this winter?

Legends tell of soft white snow that blankets the ground, and inventor Eira is determined to bring it back.
​
Join her madcap adventure and get lost in a world of breathtaking puppetry, live folk music, and captivating storytelling that will enthral the whole family this winter.​
​Recommended for Ages 4+ | Running time approx. 1 hour

'a captivating explosion of joy'
(Mum's Guide to Hertford, 2022)

Creative Team

Story, Director and Designer: Peter Morton
Producer: Robin Hatcher
Writer: Henry Madd
Co-Director (2023): Rori Endersby
Deviser, Songwriter & Performer (2022-Current):
​Amelia Gabriel
Deviser & Performer (2022-Current): 
Jamahyl Chan-Ellis
​Performer (2023): Dorthea Darby
Music Collaborator: Marc Pell
Dramaturg & Guest Director: Emma Willatts 
Lighting Design: Claire Childs
Workshop Assistants: Nick Willis, Hatty Edwards, Ellyn Hebron and Jo Morton
Costume Design: Lidia Witts
Carpentry: William Aubrey Jones
Illustrations: Greg Stobbs
Deviser & ​Performer (2022): Louisa Ashton
Understudy (2022): Darcey O'Rourke
​
​Supported by Arts Council England and Hertford Theatre.

Meet the 2023/24 Cast


​JAMAHYL CHAN-ELLIS​

Jamahyl Chan-Ellis was raised in South London where he attended the Brit School for Performing Arts. Since graduating from the University for Creative Arts he devised and toured The Grenfell Project with his own theatre company. He has since appeared at the National Theatre in Small Island and BBC Three series Grime Kids due to release later this year.

​He now returns for a second time to the Half a String company for The Snowsmith.


​DORTHEA DARBY

Dorthea is a Jamaican born British actor, who has spent time training in Long Beach, California. Since beginning her career after graduating from the University of Kent, she has been making her way through the theatre world and the screen world. She has recently returned from touring a family show in Sheffield, and after completing both seasons 4 and 5 of the corporate series ‘The Inside man’ she has been asked to return for season 6.

​When not performing Dorthea enjoys fitness training as well as writing and performing spoken word poetry, she recently completed her first performance as a featured artist at the ‘write2speak’ monthly poetry night. Alongside this she plays a selection of instruments and sings. With a goal of being able to perform her own stunts and become the next on screen Superhero. Dorthea has also picked up tumbling classes to improve her physical performance language.


​​AMELIA GABRIEL

Amelia trained at The Royal Academy of Music in Musical Theatre after gaining a degree in English from the University of Oxford. Theatre credits include: The Lord of the Rings (Watermill Theatre); To the Moon and Back: a sensory show for young audiences labelled with PMLD (Concrete Youth); The Miraculous Misadventures of Robin Hood (Trinity Theatre); The Marriage of Kim K (Arcola Theatre); and, with Half a String: Under the Frozen Moon and The Snowsmith. 

​When not performing, she spends her time wild swimming and knitting (deliberately) ugly jumpers. 

Buy The Snowsmith Storybook Now!

The Snowsmith premiered at Ware Drill Hall in 2022 in collaboration with Hertford Theatre.
Environmental Data:

Creation and Development of The Snowsmith, including our 45 show run at the Drill Hall in Ware, December 2022.

Est. Emissions Total: 597.1 kg CO2e
(Calculated from materials, light, sound usage)
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