Christmas has arrived early in Wolverhampton as cast of Elf the Musical 'sleigh it' on stage - review
With just six weeks to go until the big day, Christmas is certainly on the horizon, and at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre this week Buddy and his pals are “sleighing it” in “Elf The Musical.”
Based on the hit movie “Elf” which starred comedian Will Ferrell in the title role, this is a family festive favourite, guaranteed to entertain adults and kids alike and will definitely put you in the holiday mood. Crazy, quirky and cute just about sums this musical up.
The show has enjoyed huge success both in the West End and on Broadway as well as sell-out arena performances, breaking box office records as it goes, but last night was the the first performance of the latest tour.
The storyline follows the adventures of Buddy, who as a baby crawls his way into Santa’s sack, only to be taken back to the North Pole where he is raised as an elf. For years he is unaware of his plight, but, as Buddy grows too tall and his inability to make toys and therefore fit in with the elf community becomes apparent, he makes the choice to return to his home city of New York to find his father and try to live a normal human life. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?
This is a lovely, heart-warming tale, if a little weird and whacky, and as close to the movie as you could want, which I think is important given that it has become such a modern day classic. It is funny and the humour is not just for the children. In a similar way to pantomime, the script hits the perfect balance of cheesy gags and a few adult jokes thrown in too to amuse everyone watching.
The show is produced and directed by Jon Conway, who has given us everything you could ask from a musical theatre production and more, plus audience participation, a snow ball fight, dancing elves, singing Santas; need I go on? His pantomime experience is evident and so he was the perfect choice to bring “Elf the Musical” to the stage.
