A festive stage show of the Disney blockbuster “Frozen” ended in tears in Italy after the conductor of the orchestra announced to children and parents that “Father Christmas doesn’t exist”.

Giacomo Loprieno was apparently driven to the fit of pique after families started leaving the performance early in a bid to beat the queues exiting Rome’s Auditorium Parco della Musica, an arts venue.

His outspoken intervention led to numerous complaints and a storm of protest on social media. “He vented his frustration on the most innocent beings in the world – children,” one parent wrote on the web page of the event organisers.

Another parent accused the director of “ruining the dreams of little kids of five and six years old, without any plausible reason.”

Angry that families were leaving before the show had ended, Mr Loprieno reportedly grabbed a microphone and from the stage announced: “Father Christmas doesn’t exist anyway”, before storming off.

The outburst, on Thursday night, left parents stunned and small children in tears. Under a barrage of complaints, the event organisers, Dimensione Eventi, said they "completely dissociated” themselves from what Mr Loprieno said.

“Like everyone, we were shocked by the declaration made by the director. What he said was totally out of line. It was the arbitrary action of one person,” they said in a statement.