Elf the Musical – based on the hit 2003 film starring Will Ferrell – has previously played in London back in 2015. Much was made of the high ticket prices back then and, even though we now find ourselves in the midst of a cost of living crisis, not much has changed – with the top tier stalls seats coming in just shy of £200. Does it justify such a high price tag? We’re not convinced.
Don’t get us wrong – it’s an entertaining-enough family-friendly musical. It’s cute, it’s lighthearted, it’s silly – there’s plenty here to keep the kids amused, although on the whole it lacks substance; we’re not sure there’s much here for grown ups. It’s all very surface level, with largely one-note performances – only Buddy the Elf’s father Walter (Tom Chambers) has much of a narrative arc.
The songs are pleasant enough and saccharine sweet, but few are particularly memorable. There are some enjoyable staging moments – the set design is pretty impressive on occasion, and some of the choreography lands well – it’s all perfectly enjoyable, if not particularly remarkable. In addition, there are some pretty disappointing moments – several key scenes are simply animations on a screen, which look distinctly unimpressive compared to some of the more ambitious set-pieces.
Our overall impression of Elf the Musical was that it all just felt slightly underwhelming – nothing was especially bad and there were a handful of entertaining moments, but it never wowed us. There are plenty of great festive theatrical offerings in town at the moment, and given the somewhat eye-watering ticket prices, we’re not sure we’d particularly recommend this one.
GAY TIMES gives Elf the Musical – 3/5
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