Reviewed by Nicola Wilkinson
Last night (14 November 2017) I went to watch Elf the Musical at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth.
What a fantastic evening we had! We were sat in the stalls, which had a great view and these seats gave you a little surprise towards the end, so I’d recommend seating as close to the front as you can.
Elf the Musical is a story of a 30-year-old man who is brought up by one of Santa’s elves after accidentally crawling into his sack one Christmas. After discovering he is human and not an Elf he travels to New York to find his real father.
I have watched the film Elf before with my children quite a few times and production definitely lived up to my expectations. The cast were absolutely superb, bringing lots of Christmas spirit to Plymouth. There were lots of laughter in the auditorium, and not only when Santa lost his tummy padding. When this did happen, it showed both Santa’s (Louis Emerick) and Buddy’s (Ben Foster) professionalism carrying on then bringing a comment in later on to add it into the show.
All the cast could do with their own shout-outs, but my personal favourites were Ben Foster who played the role of Buddy. He was such a strong character with an amazing voice and lots of energy, just like you’d expect an Elf to be. I also really like Liz McClarnon who played Jovie, she has a lovely voice and really made you like her just like Buddy did.
The set and changes of scenery were absolutely amazing, I am still lost for words with some of the special effects, you’ve got to see it to believe it. It certainly makes you feel the Christmas magic.
I cannot recommend Elf enough, it really left a warm feeling at the end. Shame it’s only November as I now want to put my Christmas tree up!
Plymouth Theatre Royal always welcomes you with polite friendly staff. It is in the centre of Plymouth with plenty of car parks, busses and taxis nearby.
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £16 to £52.50 (booking fees may apply).
Elf the Musical is at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth from 11-18 November 2017, for more information or to book tickets visit www.theatreroyal.com or call the box office on 01752 267222.
Theatre Royal Plymouth, Royal Parade, Plymouth, PL1 2TR | 01752 267222
