I’ve never seen Elf, the Christmas film that everyone raves about and watches religiously every year, only because I have an illogical aversion to Will Ferrell who made the part his own. But he is not involved in this musical version, so here I am, writes Michael Holland.
The curtains go up and there is a very funny dance routine from the team of Santa’s little elves who work hard throughout the year making toys for the world’s children.
Then Buddy, the eponymous Elf, turns up for work and it is obvious that he is different. Buddy is twice the size of the other elves and works twice as slowly. But he smiles a lot and tries hard, and they love him.
He has also been made to look Will Ferrell to obviously stir up all that irrational dislike in me. Why has Simon Lipkin – who absolutely throws himself into the role – had to shave his beard off? Elves have beards. Why the ginger wig? Who knows any ginger elves? I had been dragged down into a mire of melancholy and the show was only three minutes old.
Now, the dancing seemed, at times, pedestrian; just a string of clichéd steps strung together. The simplicity and innocence of Buddy lost any endearing qualities and, instead, got on my nerves.
But, just as much as the Elf did grate, after a while he grows on you. The energy he puts into making people happy on stage also has an effect on the audience. He skates, he juggles, he sings, he dances and he gets Jovie, the prettiest girl in New York, to go on a date with him. What’s not to like?
Credit Mark Senior
Well, I would have liked to have had more of the dancing elves, and for the relationship between Buddy and Jovie to have been more credible, and if it wasn’t for Lipkin’s outstanding performance the show would have been stolen by Kim Ismay, the office PA. Nevertheless, the big, no-surprise finish, brings this production round the last bend and over the line.
Elf the Musical suffers, I believe, by its pale comparison to the much-loved film but by the end I was clapping along and tapping my feet to the songs, and I smiled heartily at the Happy Ever After finale. And while the fake snow fell on us, like all the adults there, I wished that there was a Santa Claus and that all our dreams of White Christmases came true.
Dominion Theatre, 268-269 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7AQ until January 7th. Times: Mon – Sat 7.30pm; Thur & Sat matinees 2.30pm. Admission: £25 – £195.
Booking: www.nederlander.co.uk
