Beloved by all ages, Elf is one of those classic Christmas films that it seems almost everyone enjoys. When it is discovered that Buddy (Jordan Conway), who towers above the other elves, is in fact not an elf at all, he goes on an adventure to find his father Walter Hobbs (Barry Bloxham). Shocked by workaholic Walter’s inclusion on the naughty list, Buddy endeavours to get him to embrace the festive spirit.
Having heard brilliant things about the production at the Dominion, my expectations were high. This version, however, sadly lacks much of the high-quality production values. Despite having minimal production, a rear screen attempts to carry the weight, but it ultimately falls short in this regard. There are some aerial stunts that add a certain amount of interest but fail to elevate things enough to make it truly visually engaging.
The band for this production are fantastic, bringing Christmas cheer through the music, particularly with the horns! Whilst not every song was a complete ear-worm, they all had an unmistakable festive charm. It was however difficult at points to hear some of the singing over the impressive band, making it difficult to follow what was happening on stage.
Something that could have really helped strengthen the show would be the pacing. The first act, which spans an hour and a quarter, felt excessively long for a family-oriented show. Given the limited depth of the book, it would have been better to shorten the first act in particular to help enhance the experience. Nevertheless, the cast diligently performs with the available material.
Although marketed as a musical, the production is much closer to a pantomime than a full-scale musical. The tone is clear from the outset when a character introduces some planned audience participation, with some on-stage audience participation playing a part early on also. As a musical, this production doesn’t meet the expectations set by a string of successful film-to-stage adaptations like Kinky Boots, Billy Elliott, & Waitress. Had this been sold more clearly as a pantomime, expectations may have been different.
Elf The Musical plays at Manchester Palace Theatre until Sunday 17 November 2024.
Note: My ticket was gifted. Irrespective of whether a show is gifted or bought, I always ensure that my reviews are fair and based on my honest opinion alone.