Unity Hall Wakefield – until Sunday 7th December 2025
Reviewed by Adam Craddock
4****
Tonight I had the pleasure of being invited along by Diva Productions to review the return of their Christmas show Elf The Musical. Previously running to rave reviews in 2023, I was very excited to come along and see what the talent of West Yorkshire had to offer and I have to say that I did not leave disappointed!
Based on the classic Will Ferrell Christmas movie, Elf The Musical follows Buddy, a human who was brought up as an elf in the North Pole, along his journey of discovering his real family in the run up to Christmas. Michael Markey leads the show as Buddy. Markey has a real charm on stage and endeared himself brilliantly to the audience. For me he struck just the right balance of giving a knowing nod to the subject material whilst also very much putting his own spin on the role. Bravo! Meg Riley plays Jovie, the store worker who hates Christmas but falls in love with an elf. Riley has a rich tone to her voice and a warm chemistry with Markey’s Buddy. James Banks was good as Walter Hobbs, slightly on one level emotion wise throughout although I think this is more down to the script than Banks’ performance as when he did have a brief second of softness he did look strong. Teddy Cooper was fantastic as Michael Hobbs, with a vocal strength and matureness to his performance far beyond his years, this is one young man to definitely keep an eye out for in years to come! Andrew Coan was perfectly warm as Santa Claus with a beautiful connection between himself and Buddy, although there were one or two moments where he let his pace drop just slightly too much before getting it back. I can’t list all of the supporting cast otherwise this review would be as long as Santa’s naughty list, although a special shout out from the supporting roles has to go to George Markey as Chadwick. His energy and performance were a joy to watch and I could not take my eyes off him in the office scenes. The absolute standout performance of the show for me however has to go to Esmae Bloomer as Emily Hobbs. Bloomer had to step in with only 30 minutes rehearsal to cover a cast illness and if you had told me she had been rehearsing that role for the last 6 months I would’ve believed you! She had a beautiful tone to her voice and her connection with her on stage son was touching. Stepping in for a role such as this at the last moment is no mean feat and I think that’s shows a real sign of a performer with a glowing career to come.
In terms of the production as a whole I think it was very strong with excellent production values throughout! The lighting was crisp and fresh, the sound design was good and the costumes were absolutely fabulous, particularly Santa and Buddy. The use of a flying sleigh at the end caught me off guard and really made me smile, although I would advise the technical team to be careful with their snow machine as one poor lady in the front row ended up with about 4 inches of foam sat on top of her head and nose. Whilst she found it hilarious another audience member may not have. My only other criticism of the show would be that for me the stage just felt a little too full at times. I completely understand the want to include everyone in each number but for me this was detrimental to the ensemble numbers as the dancers did not have the room to really dance to their full capability and the principals looked uncomfortably crowded. I think you would be better served by having a few less people on stage and the ability to really dance to the end of each step.
In conclusion, I would highly recommend a chocolate monster and a trip to watch Elf The Musical this December. This production is a joyous show and for me, it’s the perfect way for you to start your Christmas. After all… The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear. Now put me on the nice list!