Elf at The Lowry

Elf: The Musical

Move over Will Ferrell – Ben Forster is the new elf on the block or, in this case, The Quays! And what a loveable elf he is – adults ‘aah’ and children giggle as Forster takes us on a perfect festive ride from the emotional warmth of the North Pole to the icy chill of New York disbelief.

In its first Christmas season outside London, Elf: The Musical brings the magic of the classic 2003 film to the Lowry stage. Elf is the tale of Buddy, a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole. Unaware that he is actually human, Buddy’s enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father, discover his true identity, and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Forster is made for the role of Buddy and clearly loves every second that he’s on stage, but credit must also go to the very strong cast around him: Atomic Kitten’s Liz McClarnon as Buddy’s love interest (Jovie); Joe McGann suitable Scrooge-like as Dad; Jessica Martin as feisty Mum; and Louis Emerick as the big man himself. Special mention must go to Lori Haley Fox who was hilarious as Deb and the very impressive 11 year old with big vocals – Lochlan White as Michael.

This big budget, no expense spared ‘sparklejollytwinklejingley’ cracker of a show wows the audience with big songs, classic routines and stunning sets. It may still be November, but Elf is the star at the top of this season’s theatrical Christmas tree.

Lyric Theatre, The Lowry: November 24th 2017 – Jan 14th 2018

Published: 30-Nov-2017 (4647)