Elf the Musical

Congleton Amateur Youth Theatre were back on stage with their production of the festive favourite, ‘Elf the Musical’, directed by Crystal Holford and Olivia Gill. The set was well conceived with video walls dominating the set. The animations used were great, and totally worthwhile. Other set pieces were brought on throughout the production, such as the iceberg that Buddy travels on and the desks. The animations helped with the pace of the scene changes, with the rest of the pieces being brought on efficiently, ensuring that the pace was kept up. The use of traditional set pieces with the modern use of video screens complimented each other well. The direction from Crystal and Oliva was very good throughout, creating some good stage pictures. This was a fun production, which could be seen in the direction, especially in the curtain call with the cast (and crew!) throwing snowballs into the audience. The cast all appeared confident in what they were doing and looked like they were enjoying every single minute. Costumes were very good throughout, from the elves to the formal workwear. Santa and Mrs Claus looked splendid in their traditional attire. The fake Santas were appropriately dressed in cheap looking costumes. Buddy’s costume was great, and was similar to the film version.

Alex Williams was the musical director for this production. Alex led the band well throughout the production and they were sympathetic to the cast. Debs Stokes provided support with the vocals, which were very good throughout, especially in the ensemble numbers.

Choreography came from Olivia Gill, Crystal Holford and Leah Owens. The choreography was fun and varied throughout, and the cast performed it with energy and enthusiasm. From performing on their knees as elves to performing on roller skates as part of the skating scene; the cast appeared confident in all that they were doing.

The technical elements were very good throughout. The sound balance between the cast and the band was spot on, and everything could be heard. The lighting design was good throughout. The animated backdrops from Simon Matthews were fantastic, instantly transporting the audience to the different locations throughout the production.

Harry Gill proved his versatility as a performer, taking on the iconic character of Buddy. Physically and vocally, Harry sustained his performance throughout the performance. His comedy throughout was great, which he balanced well with other aspects of the character, such as the awkward first kiss (with an added leg pop!) and the initial strained relationship with his biological father. Harry handled this with skill and brightness in his excellent portrayal.

Maddie Holford played Jovie. Maddie did well in this role, showing a great sarcastic side to the character initially. It was nice to see how the character softened over the course of the production thanks to Maddie’s portrayal. Maddie’s vocals were pleasing throughout, and she worked well with Harry.

Charlie House impressed as Walter Hobbs. He was initially self-absorbed and it was great watching the change of character throughout the production through Charlie’s performance.

Ronnie Sharpe-Woodcock played Emily Hobbs. Ronnie did well with this role, confidently portraying Walter’s wife. She created a good relationship with her on-stage family. Ronnie’s vocals were particularly strong.

Oscar House did well as Michael Hobbs. Oscar was able to get across his character’s love for Christmas as he helped to save the day.

Alicia Misirli was great in the cameo role as Deb. Her interactions with the other characters, particularly Buddy, were great, and Alicia’s facial reactions were nothing short of hilarious.

Arthur Wedgbury put in a great comic performance as Manager. This was a confident performance from Arthur, and he commanded the stage well.

Chloe Furlong played Ms Greenway. This was a good performance from Chloe, bringing sass to the role. There were nice touches to the character, such as the interactions with her entourage with the finger clicking to get their attention.

Riley Simmons did very well as Santa, instantly getting the audience on side. Riley was extremely comfortable in his interactions with the audience, and never once appeared uneasy in this aspect. He did well to ensure that the audience could hear every word through his huge beard!

Riley Shelmerdine played Mrs Claus. She created a warm character, and worked well with Riley creating a good partnership.

The ensemble did very well throughout, playing a variety of roles from the elves in the North Pole to employees at Macy’s. They were fully committed to what they were doing and were engaged with the action. There were some great ensemble numbers throughout the productions, particularly ‘Nobody Cares About Santa’. This particular number was staged well, with some fun choreography and some great vocals from the cast.

Overall, this was a very good production. The staging was strong, there were notable principal performances, and the direction was good throughout. It certainly got the audience in the festive mood.

A big thank you to everyone at Congleton Amateur Youth Theatre for their kind invite and their hospitality.

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