I was sat at Hull New Theatre this week with an auditorium full of excited adults and children. If you have seen the film “Elf” and enjoyed it, you will love this production. Looking around at the audience bedecked in Elf t-shirts and hats, it was almost like the cult following of Rocky Horror Show.
The story is about Buddy the Elf (Tam Ryan) who, as a baby crawled into Santa’s bag one Christmas at the orphanage and the elves at the North Pole decided to raise him. Buddy grows up and realises he is different. Santa tells him his story and Buddy decides to go to New York to find his father. Full of North Pole, Santa’s Workshop spirit he sets off to New York. He finds his father, and a step mum and a brother, falls in love with a girl and has fun transforming jaded people into happy people along the way.
This is a very talented cast of actors and dancers who play multiple parts. From the start, they captivated the audience. Santa comes out with lots of ‘pandemic’ jokes levelled at both the children in the audience and the adults. The show developed into an almost panto format. Lots of audience participation which had the two children I took along shouting at the stage. All of the cast joined in with catchy songs and dance. Two of the cast were fantastic roller skaters and the guy was swinging circles with his female partner making us all gasp as her head was so close to the floor (I think Dancing on Ice call it a ‘head banger’). There was also a super aerialist with spinning splits above the other dancers.
There was lots of slap stick humour as Buddy, dressed in full Elf costume, meets the New Yorkers and the ‘stand- in‘ Santa Clauses. The audience was full of happy smiles at the interval and this continued into the second half. The set was colourful and imaginative, with a film screen at the back of the stage helping to tell the story of Buddy’s travels and background sets.
The show lasts around 2 hours and I drove home with two very excited children. They loved all of the show, but most of all the slap stick in Buddy’s father’s office and Santa flying on his sleigh. I can highly recommend this show, it is fun, light and just the show to lift the spirits. Don’t miss it! Take the children along and see their joyful faces and go home in high spirits.
Elf is currently at Hull New Theatre until 6 November – grab a ticket here >>
