If a snow-covered Aberdeen had started to freeze supplies of Christmas spirit then an evening at P&J Live with Buddy the Elf will have warmed them right back up again.
There were singers, dancers, circus acts and moving stages; a snowball fight, trampolining elves and Santa on a flying sleigh. This Christmas Arena show was as it promised: spectacular.
Off to a slow start
Despite this, and the man in the red suit arriving by sleigh, the show itself didn’t get off to a flying start.
The first act was prefaced by the incredibly talented Aberdeen Academy of Performing Arts but the host, dressed himself as an elf, had to work hard to get the audience into panto mode.
It picked up when the Richard Attenborough-looking Santa stepped up to begin his introduction. The energy of the crowd rose accordingly.
So much to see
Supported by high-flying cirque stars with movie-like LED backdrops, the ensemble of singers and dancers were brilliant.
Engaging characters helped trigger memories of the much-loved movie and as the production developed there was a tangible sense of more and more buy-in.
So many details and “wow” moments on stage were likely missed though, due to the creative elements of the production.
When Buddy set sail on an iceberg, he travelled around the arena floor. Lit from above and passing gigantic candy canes en-route, heads were turning and eyes darting to spot what would come next.
Another example would be the snowball fight. Little hands desperately tried to catch the mini-inflataballs being fired from the front only to become captivated by gigantic white beach balls bouncing around the raised seating.
True to the original
As expected, Elf sought to recreate the story made famous by Will Ferrell’s naive Santa-loving character who hailed from the North Pole.
The story goes that 30 years earlier a baby Buddy crawled into Santa’s sack. When he arrived home the elves raised the baby and it was only when someone let it slip that Buddy is human, that he begins a journey of self-discovery, to find his family.
The only real difference to the previous plot is that on finding his unsuspecting, workaholic father he also discovers a step-mother and a sister. In John Favreau’s film, Buddy has a younger brother.
Big (pointy) shoes to fill
Stepping into Ferrell’s lycra tights for the evening was West End star Steven Serlin who did not disappoint.
As a huge fan of the movie, I was quick to snag my ticket. However, that meant I could be let down by the alternative.
I needn’t have feared. From his opening words, it was clear Serlin had mastered all there is to love about Buddy. Everything from the tone of voice to comedic stage presence kept even the smallest viewers transfixed and aficionados of the film happy too.
‘Everything, I loved everything’
The cast also features Butlins comedy star Jordan Conway who was everything from a TV reporter to a clumsy asparagus. Birds Of A Feather actor Charlie Quirke was a policeman and Kelly Banlaki was Buddy’s love interest, Jovie the elf.
Although there was a hugely engaging scene in the first half, where Buddy and Jovi go for an ice skating date – complete with a death-defying rollerskating double act – it was the second section of the show where Jovie, and the performance itself, really came into its own.
I had two personal highlights, largely due to being accompanied by a seven-year-old. One was the snowstorm, and the other, the final song topping up Christmas spirit enough to get Santa’s sleigh flying through the air again.
Flying sleigh was definitely a highlight of the immersive Elf Christmas Arena Spectacular My wee one LOVED it. @PandJLive pic.twitter.com/Xi32c4EHT7
— Lindsay the Bruce (@LLBruce) December 8, 2022
These magical moments definitely aren’t the contents of a pantomime as you would expect it. Nor was it a true theatre-style musical either. Unequivocally, however, it is a Christmas ‘ must-see.’ And if I could I’d be going back for another helping.
If a second opinion is needed, I’ll leave you with the critique of my little lady.
When asked what her favourite part was she replied: “Everything. I loved everything. But especially the snow inside.”
- Tickets still available here for Friday December 9.
You might also like…
- All you need to know about Elf – the Christmas arena spectacular at P&J Live
- WATCH: Take an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of HMT’s panto Peter Pan
- REVIEW: Peter Pan is the glittering essence of Christmas magic at His Majesty’s Theatre
- REVIEW: Goldilocks And The Three Bears is just right as a fantastic and fresh panto at The Tivoli
Conversation