The holidays will seem bittersweet 
while you’re alone in bed. 
But how can one girl ever compete 
with a magic fat guy in a flying sled?

So, the person who dislikes the whole Christmas shebang goes to see a show made famous by one of his most disliked actors in Will Ferrell. How was he going to cope? Quite easily when it is Script Youth Musical Theatre Company at the helm of the production. Yes, I know it wasn’t really my thing, but I had fun, all the same.

Elf, based on the 2003 film of the same name with music and lyrics by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin, plus a book adapted from the movie courtesy of Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin. The setting is simple. A tale of Christmas, finding yourself and family love. Buddy the Elf discovers that he is human and after his mother died, he crawled into Santa’s sack one Christmas and arrived at the North Pole. Jeez, didn’t the police ever try to find him? At least have his face on a milk carton. However, knowing the truth, Buddy goes to New York to find his real father, who did not know he existed.

Finlay Laidlaw was magnificent as Buddy, complete with OTT exuberance, comic awareness, and good vocals in World’s Greatest Dad. Alongside him as the practical and initially no-nonsense Jovie was Emily Kate White who really impressed me in her first Script outing and gave me my favourite number of the show in Never Fall in Love (With an Elf). Samuel McCormack played Buddy’s reluctant dad with excellence while Evie Rice was equally as splendid in the role of his wife, Emily. I particularly loved the duet between her and onstage son Michael (Bailey Latusek) in I Believe in You.

This was a loveable show with a fabulous sound thanks to the vocal coaching of Sarah Jones and wonderful interpretation of Kelly McCormack’s choreography. The producer was Script Chair Louise Farmer who must have been delighted with the excellent results.

The remaining cast on this showing were Kian Haden (Santa), Corey James Mayne (Fake Santa), Nevada Grizzle Francis (Charlotte), Zachariah Scrivens (Mr Greenway), Frankie Donohoe (Shawanda), Claudia Edwards (Charlie), Molly Fitzpatrick (Manager), Izzy Round, Ophelia Ronney and Darci Rice (Elves), Mya Cartwright (Delo), Maddie Howard (Matthews), Jessica Lewis (Darlene), Dean Donnelly (Guard) and Calvin Gunn (Ensemble).

Now, I only saw one of two casts as like many youth productions, runs are split into two. I must therefore credit those I didn’t see, namely: Lewis Ward-Bygrave (Buddy), Niamh Scott-Walters (Jovie), Arlo Conway-Ford (Walter), Peyton Lockley (Emily), Poppy Kerr (Michael), Edward Lawlor (Santa), Robin Lawlor (Fake Santa), Amelia Green (Charlotte), Zachary Duke (Mr Greenway), Mae Gregory-Martin (Shawanda), Ava Faulkner (Charlie), Daniel George (Manager), Effie Rose, Kitty Scrivens, Isabella Byrne Drew and Lois-Ann Rollings (Elves), Tilly Cartwright (Delo), Lilah Edmonds (Matthews), Isla Thorp (Sarah), Gracie Reynolds (Chadwick), Leo Stubbington (Guard), Lily Read and Frankie Jordan (Ensemble). The creative team for these performances were Louise Sall and Tim Rice (Producers) with Erin Mooney and Aimiee Whillis (Choreography).

Always a lovely welcome and I cleaned up on the raffle. A wonderful company who return to The Cresent in July with Legally Blonde, the musical I have seen more than any other. Youth theatre is underrated and brilliant. Try keeping me away.

Cheers.

Antony N Britt

*Some photos taken from social media.