A Review of The Elves and the Shoemaker

Our lovely friends at Raring2Go came along to our annual children’s Christmas show which this year was The Elves and the Shoemaker and gave us this wonderful review!

If you love a pantomime but know your children would struggle to sit through an entire show, you may be as pleased as I was to find The Courtyard put on a family Christmas show just for them! This year’s show is The Elves and the Shoemaker – and I decided to check it out, along with 2 of my most hyper and super-excitable grandchildren (aged 2 and 4). I was a little nervous knowing how energetic these two can be, especially when we arrived at the theatre half an hour before the show was due to start, but I needn’t have worried. The theatre staff were hugely welcoming to all the children, offering flags, colouring sheets and crayons, while in no way expecting the children to actually sit still for a second – which was a good thing as my grandchildren ran around in hyper-excited circles!

The Elves and the Shoemaker  The Elves and the Shoemaker  The Elves and the Shoemaker

The show was performed in the smaller stage, which is cosy, intimate and not too overwhelming – the perfect introduction to the theatre for your little ones. The cast of just 2 actors, each playing several characters, gave performances crammed full of colour, energy and fun, encouraging every member of the audience to join in with the songs and actions. The backdrop, costumes, props and actors all worked perfectly to fire the imaginations of everyone in the audience, and we all became fully immersed from the very start.  I found both my grandchildren were captivated, and as nobody was expected to sit still or keep quiet, it was the most relaxed and enjoyable experience for us all.

I would absolutely recommend this one to any family with very little children, or for those who may find sitting through a full length show difficult.

The show ran for just under an hour, and even my hyper 2 year old grandson was fine throughout – both the grandchildren loved every moment and if you did need to pop out part way through the performance? With this one, it just isn’t an issue.  Relaxed fun for everyone – it’s a 10/10 from us all!

Well done to all involved – most especially to actors Elisha Covell and Jack Blakey, who held us all captivated throughout – fabulous!