Elf The Musical: Review

There was no shortage of Elf devotees in Manchester this week for an early slice of Christmas fun.

We could tell by the amount of elf hats, Christmas sparkles and Elf merch adorning the crowds outside the Palace, that this show has a serious following.

Having not seen the musical before, my nine-year-old and I did wonder how, and if, a stage musical could live up to the blockbuster movie starring Will Ferrell as Buddy the orphan brought up by elves after climbing into Santa’s sack as a baby.

We weren’t disappointed. And judging from the enthusiastic crowd reaction, neither were the Elf aficionados.

The work of producers Steve Sheen, and father and son team Jon and Jordan Conway, it was a luxurious festive feast for the eyes… like the theatrical equivalent of a box of Quality Street.

Framed with giant candy canes, the stage was alive with colour from the uber-cool, beautifully stylish, and often sequin-bejewelled outfits of the non-elf cast, to the giant five foot golden baubles and the gorgeous New York art deco home of Buddy’s grouchy workaholic dad, Walter Hobbs. The sets were also enhanced by CGI and animated backdrops including dancing Santas, a mock TV appearance and the New York skyline, created and developed by Jordan Conway, who – as well as co-producing the show – also takes the leading role as the irrepressible elf-man Buddy.

Bursting with firecracker energy, Jordan brings the effervescent naivety, humour and fun demanded by the role in bucketloads and he’s not shy of a little audience interaction too, so watch out if you’re in the front row, you might find yourself taking on a small, if not rather energetic, cameo role.

Jordan’s supported by a great and very versatile cast who revel in the many word play and visual gags, dance routines and songs which are woven throughout the show.
My personal favourite was Natalie Gray as Debs, Walter Hobbs’ ditzy, flame-haired secretary who had the role down to a tee. Dafydd Lansley, also brought a panto-sized dollop of visual humour with his portrayal of bespectacled geek, Matthews, whose suit gets stuck in the office shredder. I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.

The young uns’ favourite was Joe Speare whose snake hips were on top form in his portrayal of both the toy shop store manager and one of the chorus of neglected New York Santas.

I’m not sure whether it was the singing, dance moves, visual gags about Santa getting “the sack” from his job, or the little giggle explosion Joe had to stifle at one point, which impressed my son the most, but he was clear in his top pick.

The vocals of Kelly Banlaki as Buddy’s love interest Jovie and Charlotte Dalton as Emily Hobbs were accomplished, and the music, by Matthew Sklar ticked all the boxes.

Not just a musical though, the show also managed to incorporate panto elements with a, “he’s behind you” moment for the kids, cheesy gags, and the odd risqué in-joke for the parents. The audience also got to take part in the snowball scene too, giving wriggly bottoms the chance to move – something any parent will tell you is always welcome no matter how engaging the performances are.

And if that wasn’t enough to keep us entertained and engaged on all fronts, there were also some impressive circus elements too, which I suppose shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise given director/producer Jon Conway was born into the circus. The aerial hoop and roller skate daring of Romy Bauer and Joe Hatton was graceful, exciting and impressive as was the aerial ropework of Buddy and his love interest Jovie, played by Kelly Banlaki – who also comes from a circus family.

All in all this show was a real crowd pleaser. True to the film, but incorporating some fantastic live elements, it was a mixture of musical, CGI, panto and circus, and a great way to get us in the mood for Christmas. In the much loved, often quoted words of elf-man Buddy, “the best way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud for all to hear.”

Elf The Musical is at The Palace Theatre, Manchester from 12-17 November 2024.