Dominion Theatre, Tottenham Court Road, London until 7 January 2023
Reviewed by Marcia Spiers
4****
We thoroughly enjoyed this show and it put us both in a festive mood. The start of the show is very comical and sets the scene for what is good old fashioned family entertainment.
The orchestra led by Alan Williams was absolutely brilliant and they played some fantastic swing tracks. The ensemble/swing dancers were very polished. We particularly enjoyed the scenes with the Christmassy props including candy canes and boxes.
Simon Lipkin played a very credible Buddy, full of fun and yet able to show the vulnerable side of Buddy as someone who felt unloved and unwanted. His father Walter (Tom Chambers) did a great job of being so selfish and only interested in his work.
His team of office staff were desperately trying to keep their jobs and his secretary Deb played by Kim Ismay was one of my favourite characters portraying immense efficiency but with a sense of mischief.
Walter’s long suffering wife Emily (Rebecca Hobbs) was excellent at trying to persuade him to be a bit more interested in his son Michael, played by Logan Clark who definitely has a great future. His performance particularly in the second half was amazing. He has a great singing voice as does Rebecca Hobbs. Their duo together was memorable and well sang.
We particularly loved the Christmas shop scenery and the Manager ably played by Dermot Canavan. His character reminded me very much of all those stressed retailers out there hoping that everything will go to plan. His double act as the grumpy hot dog vendor was also superb.
The costumes were lovely and colourful and there is a huge surprise for everyone at the end which was wonderful and all the audience were in awe. We enjoyed all the songs and will be seeking out the sound track to play over the Christmas period!
This show is perfect for the Christmas season and if you are not keen on panto this is a great alternative because it has all the magic without the terrible jokes. A must see for all the family – be sparkly I felt underdressed!