EL Nino has done his best to ensure Frosty the Snowman will have no part to play this Christmas, but that has not stopped York Barbican giving a frosty reception to the Russian Ice Stars...in a good way.

After the cancelled pantomime of last winter, the Barbican made the correct call in assigning the Christmas slot to an ice show as a festive family alternative, and so the stage has been transformed into a rink that is effectively a frozen shallow swimming pool.

Thankfully, it is not within hearing distance of the York Crown Court, whose court officials so memorably banished the York community skating rink from the Eye of York.

You could not ask for a more apt company than the Russian Ice Stars to take on the Barbican Christmas mantle: they are the masters of such shows and their new adaptation of Peter Pan is a spot-on choice too, with children excitedly dressing up to look the pirate part or carrying swords that light up.


This version of JM Barrie’s fantasy adventure turns out to be a meeting of Russia and York, or more precisely Russian ice dancers and Minster FM’s morning jock, Ben Fry, who transforms himself into a roving news reporter, Bob Buccaneer, for pirate radio station Jolly Roger Radio. Pirate radio, ho ho!

This is a somewhat contrived, clunky conceit that best serves as an alternative to reading the programme synopsis, with Fry very much to the fore linking each scene and even interviewing Alexander Belokopytov’s Crocodile and Alexei Motorin’s Hook.

His “jokes” skate on the thin ice of maximum corniness, but the children do enjoy his regular interjections, even if they slow down the natural flow of a skating show.

The real stars are of course the Ice Stars, working their sleek, gliding magic on a compact stage where Anton Smirnov’s Peter Pan, Oleg Alekhnovich and Valeria Vorobeva’s Mr and Mrs Darling and Eketerina Bokiy’s Tinkerbell all move so impressively. Anastasiya Khlynina’s Wendy is a delight too.

The spectacular air-born rope work of the Lost Boys is thrilling and so too is the spinning fire hoop and other hoop routines that borrow from the circus tradition.

Perry Scenic’s set design works well too, as the pages of a giant copy of JM Barrie’s book are turned to reveal the next scenery, ranging from the Darling children’s bedroom to Neverland. 

The recorded music is a tad too loud in the first act, but the ears soon adjust, and even the interval is entertaining as the ice men go about fixing the holes where the skates get in to ensure a polished second half.

Peter Pan On Ice will be performed at 2pm on December 31 and January 2 and 3; 7pm today, tomorrow and January 2. Box office: 0844 854 2757 or yorkbarbican.co.uk