Reviewed by Janine Rumble
I am a huge fan of Dr Seuss, Christmas and the Grinch, so I was very excited when I was asked to review Dr Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical last night at The Alexandra in Birmingham. I had heard about the show a few months ago, how it was the UK premiere of the hit Broadway musical and that it had received fantastic reviews. I had no idea just how fantastic the show would turn out to be and how it would make me love the Grinch and the Dr Seuss story all the more.
I went in with very few expectations as I really did not know what to expect. Would the show be true to the original Dr Seuss book of the same title, or would it be a retelling of the classic Jim Carrey film version of the book? What would the songs be like? What would the stage, the set, the props be like? Would the characters look like the Who’s in the books or like the Who’s in the films? And most importantly, what would the Grinch be like? Would he be an imitation of the Jim Carrey version? Would he be like I would hope the Grinch to be? Well let me tell you that the show blew me out of the water. It was all I had hoped it would be and more, so, so much more.
The show was true to the book in all ways. The narration came straight from the pages as did the characters, their costumes and the backdrop, the sets and the props came straight from the original drawings in the book. It was amazing to see the book come to life in such a creative way. I loved it, even the Who roast beast looked identical to the way it did in the book. Such a clever touch.
The songs and the dances were brilliant and helped carry the story along. Although at one time, with all the singing, the dancing, the colour, the energy and the lights flashing, I did wonder if I was hallucinating or having some weird dream.
The characters really stole the show, they were just fantastic. The actors who played them really became the characters they were portraying and made the audience believe they were those characters in how they moved around the stage, sang, danced and spoke. Their costumes and wigs were spectacular and really added to the colour and the excitement of the show. The Grinch, played by the amazingly talented Edward Baker-Duly, was the best bit of the whole show. He has superb comedic timing and this just added to his character. He just was how you imagined the Grinch to be, he bore a similar resemblance to Jim Carrey’s portrayal of the Grinch, but he made the character his very own. He was the Grinch! He embodied the Grinch in every carefully calculated movement, in every look, in every turn of the head, in every line he spoke. I just loved him. His costume and make up was very creative. His make-up gave the illusion of his face being rounded and sculpted and green without the need for a mask. I loved his long grinchy fingers and how they moved when he drummed his fingers. His costume when he was pretending to be Santa Claus was good too.
The Grinch was ably assisted by his faithful dog Max. Max was portrayed as the elderly version, played by Steve Fortune reminiscing about the past before he says goodbye, this was sad, but a good way to tell the story of the Grinch and how he stole Christmas. Then young, energetic Max was played by Matt Terry. I loved how they had similar costumes, but that elderly Max’s was grey and faded and that he was wearing a cardigan to keep him warm. I loved how they both had hats to represent their ears, such a clever touch.
The Who costumes were especially creative, with each one being individual to the characters. All were colourful and shaped to resemble the shape of a Who. I loved their Who hair shaped wigs, just like the hair on the characters in the book. My favourite Who character was the adorable Cindy Lou Who, played by the extremely talented young Isla Gie, I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t hear her name a lot in the future. She is an incredible talent for someone so young and she really stole the show when she sang, especially the song she sang with the Grinch in her house. For a young child to remember all those lines, choreography and perform in such a way that the audience believes that she is Cindy Lou Who, then you know what an incredible talent she is.
The backdrop was red and covered in the picture of Cindy Lou Who holding a wreath as drawn in the book. The stage itself was very simple with black and white drawings of houses, identical to the ones drawn in the book. All of the props from the tree, to the rocking horse, to the tree, to the presents are exactly as they are drawn in the book. The attention to detail is great, although if you haven’t read the book, they may be a little lost on you, but are very effective.
The music added so much to the story and I loved that the songs in the book were included too. There was some audience participation, which was very funny, but did not make it feel like a panto like some audience participation at Christmas time can.
From start to finish I sat enthralled as I watched it. I felt like a big kid and I loved every single second of it, so much so that I have booked tickets to go back and see it on Friday night. You could say that the Grinch not only stole Christmas, but he also stole my heart, as did the rest of the cast. It is such a magical Christmas story that teaches the importance of family and making memories with loved ones and that Christmas is not about the presents under the tree but about who is around the tree.
I watched Dr Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas at The Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham. I have visited the theatre before and it is such a lovely venue close to parking and within easy walking distance of Birmingham New Street station. If you park at the NCP car park around the corner, get your ticket validated at the theatre and you get your parking for a reduced rate. All staff I met were lovely and polite, especially the lovely woman who directed us to our seats in the stalls. The bars were well stocked with all the typical drinks and snacks you would expect at a theatre. I recommend the Strawberry and Clotted Cream ice cream, so tasty and so creamy, the perfect interval treat. The theatre was clean and tidy and the toilet facilities were ample, but there was some queuing, which is to be expected, but these were also clean and tidy. It is such a lovely theatre and as it is easy to get to from the train station, I will be keeping an eye on what shows they have coming up in the future and will be a returning patron.
There is also a range of Grinch merchandise to purchase in the foyer, so be warned and take plenty of pennies as if you are a fan like me, you will want to buy it all. The programme is a great buy as is the cuddly Grinch toy, magnets, enamel pins, socks, t-shirts, bags etc. These are priced at the usual higher prices than you would get in the shops, but then these are just for the show, so a unique purchase.
I wholeheartedly recommend this show. You do not need to be a fan of the Grinch or of Dr Seuss to enjoy this Christmassy show. I give this show 5/5 but would give it so many more stars if I could. I urge you to go see it. I will be going back Friday and I cannot wait.
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £13 (plus £3.65 transaction fee).
How The Grinch Stole Christmas is at The Alexandra in Birmingham from 3-7 December 2019, for more information or to book tickets visit www.atgtickets.com/birmingham or call the box office on 0844 871 3011.
The Alexandra Theatre, Suffolk Queensway, Birmingham, West Midlands, B5 4DS
