Elf - The Musical (St Alphege Musical Production Society)

So, the Christmas Adverts are starting to appear on television, and I imagine there are many itching to start putting up the decorations, however perhaps a visit to the Core Theatre in Solihull should be on the agenda for all as there is full-on Christmas available on stage as St Alphege Musical Production Society (STAMPS) perform Elf - The Musical.

If you haven't seen the 2003 Movie with Will Ferrell or another stage production (bearing in mind that you will be lucky to see a performance on the amateur circuit as it is usually dominated by professional productions, this time of year) here is a quick synopsis:

Human baby falls into Santa's Sack and is taken back by accident to the North Pole to be brought-up by the elves, even though he is twice their height and really doesn't look right in elf clothes (don't think Lord of the Rings, you are way off-track for these elves!). Finds out who his real father is and goes to New York (still dressed as an elf) to find him but, gets rejected, however meets and falls in love with a girl and with the help of Santa reunites with his family.

Much depends with this one on the energy of the cast to roll the story along at pace, fortunately there is enough here to power the National Grid, led by Robert Bateman as Buddy the Elf with a performance of sparkle and high spirits, akin to a bottle of fizzy pop that has been shaken and is just about to be opened. On the other hand, the love interest by the name of Jovie is a little angry, had enough of Christmas and frankly doesn't need to be faced with a guy dressed as an elf but, is played perfectly by Emily Banks, at one point she claims that she doesn't sing, perhaps correctly for the character but, certainly not for the performer if an awesome rendition of 'Never Fall In Love With An Elf' is anything to go by.

It takes a performer of skill and presence to take on the role of Santa Claus, not everybody can manifest into 'The Big Guy' but, Andy Hodkinson certainly can with just the right amount of affable friendliness. There is nothing friendly (at least not to begin with) about Buddy's unexpected father, a dominant performance as Walter Hobbs by Tony Faughnan but, he will learn to love his new son with the help of wife Emily (a totally engaging and vocally outstanding portrayal by Nicky Ginns) and younger son Michael (a delightful in every way performance from Jake Young).

Some cameo performances that need a mention include, Michael Smith's domineering performance as Hobbs's boss Mr Greenway, a stunning delivery of 'In The Way' by Darcy Humphries as Hobbs's secretary Deb and an obsessive piece of acting from Richard Bateman as the Store Manager who is convinced the elf has been sent by corporate to spy on him.

If you want to start your Christmas off with something that, as the song goes, is sparklejollytwinklejingley (my grammar checker loves that one!), then this is the show for you, grab a ticket while you still can.

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