Frozen The Musical London reviews – what did the critics make of the West End production?

Reviews have dropped for the West End production of Frozen in London – what did the critics make of it?

Based on the hit 2013 animated movie of the same name, Frozen The Musical features all the big songs from the film plus more than 10 new ones, all written by husband and wife team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.

The stage adaptation is written by the movie’s screenwriter Jennifer Lee with direction from Michael Grandage and choreography by Rob Ashford.

Fresh from Broadway, what did the critics make of Frozen in London’s West End?

Frozen The Musical London reviews

The Guardian – 5/5
“The 2013 film was met with acclaim, Oscars and delirium. Does this adaptation live up to that hefty legacy? Yes, and perhaps it even exceeds it. This is a show every bit as magical as the animation, packed with visual thrills and gorgeous choreography (by Rob Ashford) alongside signature ballads that gain greater power in their live incarnation. It is big on spectacle yet never loses control with special effects that yield some dazzling coups de theatre.” – Read the full review

Daily Mail – 5/5
“It’s an ice storm of a show featuring (literally) breathtaking magic and mesmerising meteorological effects in Christopher Oram’s stunning stage design that rivals the animation of the film and adds a whole new wow of its own. The production is as much a replica of the movie as gravity and other laws of physics will allow. But its defining features are its magic and its spectacle.” – Read the full review

The Stage – 4/5
“Song for song, Frozen is one of Disney’s best musicals, certainly since the Menken/Ashman era. Robert Lopez, composer of Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon, wrote the songs with his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez. Every number hits the spot with witty, finely crafted lyrics and ranging melodies and styles.” – Read the full review

The Times – 4/5
“Yes, traditionalists do have a point about the Disneyfication of the West End, and they’re right to worry that musical theatre risks becoming just another way of repackaging hit films. Still, the latest import — a spin-off of the animated tale that broke box-office records — turns out to be an honourable addition to the genre.” – Read the full review

The Independent – 3/5
“As a spectacle, it is a sight to behold: a show dedicated to pure escapism that has the velocity of a bedazzled freight train, leaving you dazed, breathless, and covered in confetti, if perhaps a little hollow.” – Read the full review

London Evening Standard – 3/5
“Fans of the hit 2013 Disney film will doubtless love it, but this musical stage adaptation of Frozen left me cold. On the plus side it’s full of dazzle and wit, with powerhouse central performances by sharp-edged Samantha Barks and winningly goofy Stephanie McKeon as sisters Elsa and Anna. Puppet snowman Olaf – operated and voiced by Craig Gallivan – is a joy, and the refurbished Drury Lane looks ravishing.” – Read the full review

WhatsOnStage – 4/5
“Barks’ is a beautiful Elsa, the crystal clarity of her voice cutting through the soaring ‘Let It Go’, but also bringing a tender wistfulness to songs such as ‘Dangerous to Dream’. McKeon is terrific fun, her wide-eyed Anna coloured with exactly the right sense of adventure and determination. Together the sisters – who now have a song where they reflect their feelings for each other – power the show, bringing warmth to its frozen heart.” – Read the full review

Frozen The Musical plays Theatre Royal, Drury Lane currently booking through to June 2022.

Book Frozen The Musical London tickets here »

The standard performance schedule is 7PM Wednesdays-Saturdays with 2PM shows on Thursdays and Saturdays and 1PM and 5:30PM shows on Sundays.