REVIEW: Elf – King’s Theatre, Glasgow

The festive season is off to a grand start with The Pantheon Club’s production of Elf. Based on the 2003 Will Ferrell movie, Matthew Sklar, Chad Beguelin, Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin’s musical version is a treat for the whole family and bound to become a holiday favourite.

Motherless toddler Buddy Hobbs crawls into Santa’s sack by mistake and is transported to the North Pole where he grows up to be one of the elves working in Santa’s toy factory. Standing several feet taller than his fellow ‘elves’ Buddy finds out he’s actually human and return to New York to find his father. Dad is firmly on the naughty list and Buddy endeavours to help his dad and New York City re-discover the true meaning of Christmas.

Pantheon’s amateur production is high on production values (it puts many recent professional touring productions to shame) and impressive in its casting. Graeme Wallace is outstanding as the naïve Buddy, his comic timing and assured vocals are on-point throughout. He is ably supported by a universally impressive ensemble. The acting, vocals, choreography and its execution are of professional quality.

No it’s not the most demanding show, it’s not going to win any awards for the quality of the writing, and the tunes are pleasant but not spectacular, but it’s the kind of show that will warm even the hardest of hearts and set you up perfectly for the festive season ahead. A triumph for the Pantheon Club (dare I start an appeal for a repeat run? Same time, same place – next year).

Image courtesyPantheon Club.