Elf the Musical

A newish classic in the Christmas catalogue of contemporary films and musicals is Elf, which first saw life as a 2003 film starring comedian Will Ferrell, and subsequently, the much later Elf the Musical. The film is a steadfast UK favourite, and Elf the Musical is catching up in popularity, from the West End to Watlington, Norfolk.

Personally, I prefer the musical – it offers all its characters, including Buddy the Elf, the opportunity to develop personalities in different directions, the script is wittier, and of course, there’s all that singing and dancing!

Under the direction of Phil Melia, Watlington Players gave their all and then some to this musical comedy, with terrific technical contributions, enjoyable performances and well-thought-out staging at many junctures.

Briefly, Buddy was born to humans and raised by elves and Santa Claus at the North Pole. When Buddy finds out his true lineage, Santa dispatches him to the Big Apple – New York – to find his human father. It’s only after a DNA test proves that Buddy is the son of publishing executive Walter Hobbs, that Hobbs Senior grudgingly accepts Buddy into his family. But there’s more mayhem to follow in connection with Buddy’s fledgling romance with a displaced Los Angeles native who works at the Macy’s department store, the lack of a suitable Christmas story for children at Walter’s company and getting Santa’s sleigh airborne once more when it accidentally lands in New York City’s Central Park. But of course, there’s a very happy ending for all.

If the film’s Will Ferrell is your ideal Buddy, Watlington’s curly-wigged Ben Penfold will have been a dream come true – and he can sing. Sweet, naïve and not all that bright, Penfold’s Buddy was a child-adult stumbling through his new life in New York City, innocently creating havoc wherever he went. Brian Reeve-Hayes, as Buddy’s beleaguered human father, was suitably stern and agitated throughout (until the final reckoning), nicely countered by Sarah Melia’s calm, practical Emily Hobbs, Walter’s wife. As Buddy’s half-brother, Michael, Harriet Melia gave a cracking performance as the eye-rolling, lip-curling teen who learns lessons in belief at the hands of Buddy and none other than Santa himself.

Giving great comic relief in what is possibly the best role in the show was Megan Abbott as Debs, the wacky secretary who keeps Walter to time at his job. Jim Coote was certainly the hardest-working player, loudly taking on three good-sized roles (Santa Claus, one of the fake Santas that Buddy encounters and Walter’s boss, stone cold Mr Greenway). Amy Moulder gave the difficult, rather ambiguous role of Buddy’s sweetheart Jovie a steely-eyed, hard edge, the ice finally melting momentarily when she kissed Buddy in the Central Park skating rink. Her lovely singing belied the tough exterior.

Technically, the team gave the settings a boost with painted screens on rollers that filled the cut-out windows with imagery. A cut-out of the NYC skyline at the back gave the staging a real sense of place. Santa’s sleigh also got a boost, literally, from a hydraulic lift planted at its rear, and the tech team gets a ‘thumbs up’ for making it all work – this is no easy show, technically. An enthusiastic cheer for stage manager Kevin Rooney who could be seen deftly moving all of the set pieces around in his sparkly waistcoat. He was virtually another character!

A scene that was staged particularly well was Buddy’s arrival in New York, with all the fast-paced, frenetic action associated with the centre of that city. In this scene, the large cast made sense and was blocked effectively to capture the action, the hustle and bustle and the hurry-hurry-hurry atmosphere of the place.

The choreography was quite ambitious, and when it worked, worked well. The tap-dancing finale was fantastic and gave the closing scene a real wow factor.

Elsewhere, it was less successful. It often seemed that there were too many people crowded onstage; a case in point was the “Nobody Cares About Santa” scene, one of the show’s best moments featuring half a dozen department store and street corner Santas who complain that respect for the white bearded symbol of modern Christmas has evaporated. Watlington’s version added a team of dancing women in red satin trousers, white t-shirts and other Santa-ish bits. The scene is so funny in showcasing the male Santas, the addition of Santa dancing girls was unnecessary and got in the way.

The elves’ workshop scene also seemed to have too many people onstage at one time, when adults playing elves were navigating the stage on their knees with elf shoes attached in front. The other problem there was that the real feet of adults playing elves could be seen trailing behind them when they turned their backs on the audience.

Well done to director Melia plus Jenny Ives and Judi Duffy for their costuming, especially the white and silver outfits for the entire cast in the finale extravaganza.

And thanks to a beautifully hospitable front of house team for making me feel very welcome indeed.

In spite of its simple story, Elf the Musical is a demanding show to stage. Congratulations to Watlington Players for their fun and innovative approaches to the challenges, and delivering a production that brought smiles to a lot of faces!

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