It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre – as NE Theatre York bring festive favourite Elf The Musical to life on stage this week.
NE Theatre took us from Old York to New York for a sparkle jolly twinkle jingley good time in this feel-good family show.
Based on the 2003 film of the same name that starred Will Ferrell, the musical has music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin, and book by Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan.
It follows the familiar story of Buddy, raised as an elf when he was mistakenly taken to the North Pole as a baby. Once Buddy finds out he’s actually human, Santa sends him to New York to track down his birth father Walter Hobbs.
Elf The Musical is at Joseph Rowntree Theatre from Tuesday 26 to Saturday 30 November.
The spirit of Christmas was felt as soon as you stepped foot inside the theatre, with twinkling lights and festive foliage adding to the warm and inviting atmosphere. With a packed audience for a sold out show – we were ready to be taken on a Christmas adventure!
And swept away we were straight to the North Pole, as Santa (Steve Tearle) opened the show ready to tell the tale of Buddy the Elf – with a couple of York City jokes added in too.
What ensued was an explosion of Christmas chaos on stage, with bright red and green costumes throughout, Christmas trees galore, plenty of Santa suits and even some snow!
The large cast of children and adults brought plenty of Christmas cheer, and even if there were times when they felt a little uncertain, the entire company brought great enthusiasm to the whole show. Creative director Steve Tearle and NE Theatre York excel at bringing the community together and giving young people the opportunity to shine on stage – and this occasion was no different.
Highlight ensemble musical numbers included ‘Nobody Cares About Santa’ and ‘The Story of Buddy the Elf’– I feel like all the elements on stage really came together during these moments. In addition, the scene where the cast ‘ice-skate’ on stage was definitely an accomplishment worth celebrating.
At the show’s helm was Finlay Butler as Buddy, who was fantastic in the role. From his first skateboard on stage, he imbued the character with a childlike innocence which only made him even more endearing to the audience. Butler’s strong and clear voice was showcased particularly well in ‘World’s Greatest Dad’ and ‘A Christmas Song’. And with being on stage for 90% of the show, his infectious energy impressively never waned.
Perri Ann Barley as Emily Hobbs and James Roberts as Michael Hobbs (alternating the role with Zachary Stoney), had a couple of very sweet duets, with Roberts as Michael particularly pulling on our heart strings. James O’Neill as Walter Hobbs (with a fabulous New York accent!) completed the family unit, and his intense portrayal at the start softened throughout the show as his frosty character thawed under Buddy’s warmth.
Maia Stroud was a lovely Jovie, her rendition of ‘Never Fall in Love’ was beautifully sung and her sharp and animated expressions were a joy to watch throughout. A couple of stand-out performances came from Ali Butler-Hind as zany receptionist Deb and Kit Stroud as the Manager (among other roles) – their appearances were always welcomed!
A few sound balance issues meant that the action on stage was occasionally hard to hear, but fortunately didn’t affect the magnificent band, led by musical director Joe Allen. In lieu of larger set pieces, projections were used to transport us from place to place, however the projections did contain a lot of movement which made these transitions part of the visual spectacle on stage.
Though the pace of the show started out on the slow side, it picked up in the second act as Buddy and Santa helped to bring Christmas spirit back to New York.
And that’s exactly what NE Theatre have brought to the Joseph Rowntree Theatre – there is heaps of Christmas spirit to be found here, and the responsive audience of all ages were certainly enjoying all that they had to share.
The whole run of shows is currently sold out, so count yourself lucky if you have a ticket – but if not, don’t get your tinsel in a tangle and check with the box office to see if any become available.
Tickets start from £18 and are available via the Joseph Rowntree Theatre website. Elf The Musical runs at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre until Saturday 30 November.