Elf
Sharnbrook Mill Theatre
3rd December 2024
In case you somehow haven’t noticed, it’s very nearly Christmas, and what better way to get into the spirit of the festive season than with ‘Elf – The Musical’, which rounds off the Sharnbrook Mill Theatre’s 2024 programme of shows. Based on the 2003 film of the same name (somehow 20 years old now), the musical hopes to get you properly in a Christmassy mood with its story of family and the importance of spreading plenty of seasonal cheer this time of year.
At the North Pole, Santa Claus (Mark Woodham) and Mrs Claus (Elspeth Duffy) are telling the story of Buddy (Joe Bygraves), who came into their lives 30 years ago when he accidentally crawled into Santa’s sack on Christmas morning. Unaware that he’s human despite being twice the size of the elves he grew up with, Santa tells Buddy the truth of where he came from, and he sends Buddy off to find his real family. Buddy travels to New York, and meets his father Walter (Paul Wildman), a stressed-out publisher consumed by his work at the expense of estrangement from his wife and son. Believing Buddy to be a crazy person, Walter wants nothing to do with him, but his wife Emily (Natalie MacPhail) insists they take him in, and they start to fall for Buddy’s unique brand of magical charm, as does the romantically-cynical Jovie (Katie Morton). When Walter can’t come up with a best-selling book idea to save his job, and a shortage of Christmas spirit causes Santa’s sleigh to falter, it’s up to Buddy to save the day.
Shows don’t come much more Christmassy than ‘Elf’, and it’s the perfect choice of show for the Sharnbrook Mill team to end their year with. Packed full of festive fun and laughter, the spirit of the season is felt in every moment of the show. Perfect for little kids and big kids alike, it’s a genuinely funny book (adapted by Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan from the film’s script, to which it remains largely faithful), and Buddy is so endearing and charmingly written that it’s impossible not to root for him on his journey; he is absolute joy, children will adore him, and he’s a shining example of seeing the positive in everything and being true to oneself The score (by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin) is infectious and catchy, adding to the story rather than detracting from it, with only a couple of songs that don’t feel entirely needed, and in the rankings of films that have been turned into stage musicals, it’s certainly one of the stronger ones.
Every time it feels like the Sharnbrook Mill team have bitten off more than they can chew and chosen a show that might be too big for their intimate space, they prove us wrong, and they’ve done so again. In his directorial debut for the venue, Charlie Hammond Smith takes us from the North Pole to New York, office buildings to living rooms, gives us tap-dancing elves and a flying sleigh, and delivers every element with imagination that far exceeds the performance space. The inventiveness and innovation behind some of the choices is just brilliant, and we continue to be impressed by what the team can achieve. Some impressive choreography is on display again (Charlotte Pask), and the appearance of a sizable live band is wonderful (led by Kate Brewster); they really bring the score to live and give the production a real presence. As the band utilise the top level of the performance space, the production itself is limited to the floor space and every scene needs to played out there, which does lead to some rather slow transitions, but it’s a small price to pay.
The role of Buddy is a mammoth undertaking, full of energy and giving 150% personality and character throughout, and Joe Bygraves does a fantastic job in bringing him to life. There’s some big notes in there too, and again Bygraves delivers, as does Katie Morton who shows off a beautiful voice as Jovie. There’s also wonderful support from Natalie MacPhail as Emily, and also Leanne White who makes the supporting role of Deb into a memorable one.
‘Elf – The Musical’ is just the ticket to kick-start your Christmas, and Sharnbrook Mill’s production is “sparklejollytwinklejingly” in all the right places. Small in scale but huge in imagination and heart, it’s another success for the hard-working venue. 2025 sees them bringing us ‘Dracula: The Bloody Truth’, ‘Godspell’, ‘Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike’ and ‘Seussical’, and we’re looking forward to seeing what they deliver.
‘Elf’ runs at the Sharnbrook Mill Theatre near Bedford until Saturday 7th December 2024.
Performance runtime 2 hours 40 minutes including interval.
