Freeze is the inaugural work from new outfit SongBird Theatre Company. A thoughtful and touching look at dementia, family relationships and climate change, Freeze is a lovely original play from this new company. 

The action focusses on grandfather and grand daughter duo, Otto and Charlie, as they take a trip to the North Pole fishing and sight-seeing.  The show gradually unfolds with a lovely unexpected plot device (no spoilers) which takes the audience through a series of charming tales and stories. Each tale uncovers a new layer to the characters, and invites the audience deeper into the world being created. 

The staging of the show is very well done. Even in a simple, no-frills Fringeworld stage, the director has managed to capture the sense of the icy tundra with some clever set pieces and well designed lighting. 

Of particular note was the music accompanying some of the scenes, a mixture of classical pieces and original soundscape works by local composer Joshua Haines. This added a charming depth and poignancy to some of the monologues. 

The relationship between the characters was well developed, and generally the acting was solid, however the real strength of the piece is the lovely dialogue. The writing of the show is beautiful, with an authentic, honest and empathetic exploration of the topics that leaves you wanting more. 

As a new work, there were some sections that felt a little muddled, however this will be refined with future seasons and the feedback from this initial season. This did not in any way detract from the overall lovely message and tone of the piece. 

As an introductory work from a new company, it bodes well for future seasons. Freeze itself is well worth the watch, and will leave audiences reflecting on their own lives, choices and memories.