Such is the depth of talent at Theatre Train, there were two casts performing. Our reviewer had the pleasure of reviewing the Sunday/Tuesday performance teams.

A sense of excitement came over me as I saw the theatre lite up in green and red. The foyer, and volunteers, all dressed for the festive show and a sense of excitement in the auditorium.

A simple, contemporary, but effective staging was use in the form of a giant LED screen. This was perfectly used to set each scene, allow for slick scene changes, and add just the right amount of atmosphere to the show. The screen really allowed the cast to utilise the space and that is just what director Traci Stockman and choreographers Hannah Katsikides and Callum Davies did perfectly. Great stage direction and the choreography was really enjoyable and fun!

We all know and love the story of the loveable human ‘Elf’ raised by Elves who goes on a quest to New York City, in search of his biological father. There the fun begins … but, he doesn’t just find his father, Buddy helps everyone he meets rediscover the true meaning of Christmas.

The title role was played by Lydia Jones who did an exceptional job. Her energy from the moment she stepped onto the stage to leaving it was mesmerising. I was exhausted from watching! Her dance ability really showed in the dance routines giving strong performances in both solo and ensemble numbers and led the cast very well.

While on his quest Buddy falls in love with the shy, can’t be bothered, don’t give a monkeys Jovie who was played by Lyla Hunter. She really needed a little festive cheer in her life and Buddy did just that. Her performance was strong and believable. You’re truly drawn in and her solo performance was just breathtaking!

Playing Father Christmas, and store manager, was Rosco Lloyd. Rosco had great stage presence and knew how to work the space around him. He did very well, projecting his voice especially having to contest with Santa’s beard which seemed to make some of his line deliveries much harder. We can’t have a Santa without Mrs Claus and Florence Bellamy gave a good strong performance.

Buddy’s father, Walter, was played by Poppy Mannix and what a brilliant job! Never lost character and played the role perfectly. His wife, Emily, played by the powerhouse Lilly Valvona had such presence on stage. Her vocals were beautifully powerful and consistent throughout. Walter and Emily’s child was played by Naeve Hunter who gave a lovable and confident performance as Michael.

We can’t forget Walter’s office co-workers who delivered some funny moments. Matthew played by Maisie Tickle, Chadwick played by Ruby Clarke and Greenway played by Grace Leek.

The whole cast used the space around them to put on a great show. The scene changes, as minimal as they were, were seamless and the “Elves” even added a little extra comedy while moving props! One in particular had the audience chuckling away.

The use of the stage was perfect, the screen and costumes were really effective; however I felt that the music really let the show down. At times the music overpowered the vocals. There were moments the music was turned down to hear the voices on stage but sometimes even those with mics on got lost. One scene, where all the fake Santas were together, was totally lost. Two of the singers had microphones; the rest didn’t which was sad because the song had no balance. This was evident in most of the ensemble numbers. All soloists did as well as they could, but I felt that some solo performances lost momentum/feeling/emotion because the songs were so vocally low, in fact too low. The show is written for a male identifying voice and to have a female identifying voice I would have been happy to hear the lines an octave higher to hear what was being sung/said.

All in all it was a great show and I really enjoyed the performance. Everyone involved put on a great show and the audience thoroughly enjoyed themselves!

What a great way to get the island into the festive spirit! Bravo!