A new musical is always a little difficult to premiere, especially when everyone coming to see it will have their own preformed expectations of what the show will be about and how it will be presented. Here perhaps even more so, since the titular character is none other than our seasonal hero Father Christmas (or Santa Claus if you prefer).
Andy Collyer (music and lyrics) and Simon Warne (book) have taken as their source material, 'The Life And Adventures Of Santa Claus' by 'Wizard Of Oz' writer, L.Frank Baum, and indeed, in his original novel, the legend of Claus takes place in the Kingdom Of Oz. However here we are in The Forest of Burzee, and set and costume designer Stewart J. Charlesworth has created something just about as far removed from Oz as is perhaps possible to be. That being said however, it doesn't look much like a forest either, but the different levels and circus-style possibilities of the set make it a playground for the cast.
As we take our seats the cast are busy, they are inviting the young audience members to help them with material jobs, throwing a washing line acrosss the balcony, hanging material flags, dancing with ribbons, etc; whilst one lady (she is the story's narrator) takes time to chat to the youngsters and get to know a little about them in a very friendly, grandmotherly sort of way. It's unique, but it is also all-inclusive; and it gives the show a mysterious and upbeat start. Part circus, part fantasy, and we are all geared up for something which sadly, once the cast start the show properly, never actually materialises. The fourth wall comes down, and although we want to cheer and boo the elements of good and evil in the show - this is billed as the family Christmas show at this venue - we are instead treated to a rather 'worthy' and sincere production which has a rather complicated and longwinded story to follow with some very unfamiliar names and characters.
...and for those people, especially the children, wanting to see their favourite seasonal character on stage, then one has to wait until about half-way through the second act before he even starts to become anything like the familiar image we all have of him. And even by the end of the show, he is still too young and hasn't found his white hair and beard yet...!
Instead, this story gives us Claus's backstory. How he grew up and how he became the toy-making recluse. Perhaps it works better on the page, but this adaptation is wordy, and the cast are continually multi-rolling, some with more success than others; so it loses focus and we lose our attention. The direction (Kate Golledge) is very busy and again we lose focus. Sometimes there is so much happening on stage [like a Baz Luhrmann film] that we would need to see it several times before we were able to take it all in. The direction uses long lengths of ribbon, large pieces of material, torches, and a ladder, throughout; it's very 'arty' and sometimes we are not quite sure what or why. I think the lengths of ribbon represented the placing of a magic spell and entrapment; the material was used for the snow, the shadow puppetry, and for shelter, but think I might have missed the reason behind the torches. It's not an easy show to follow in this respect.
Musically it is also quite unmemorable. The songs, quite pleasant and tuneful when we listen to them, are instantly forgotten, which is a shame, since there isn't a stand-out lyric or melody that the audience can take with them which would ensure the longivety of the show. The messages of love, harmony, togetherness etc are all nicely placed and relevant, but even when the evil of Awgwa comes to the fore, it is still quite tame and the battles safely choreographed and deaths reported. Act one is long and full of exposition, whilst act 2 fares somewhat better and the image of Claus on the sleigh is much more successful. The final few minutes where there are a couple of perhaps unexpected reveals in the plot, are the only truly dramatic moments of the entire show sadly.
Moments (and only moments) of light-heartedness came from Michael Kholwadia as the Ryl Prince and Chris Draper as Will Knook; Junior Delius was an upright King Ak; Jessica Lim was a speaking and enchanted lioness with a good rapport with Harry Wichester's personable Claus, although her long tail (manned by other performers) seemed to have a life and language of its own. Jazz Evans excelled as the baddie King Awgwa, relishing and stealing every scene he was in as that character, whilst Georgie Buckland's singing voice as Necile stole the show and our hearts. Finally our lovely narrator (without whom we would have been truly lost!) was the mellow-voiced and very engaging Alwyne Taylor.
One comment I overheard from a youngster sitting close by me during the second act was, "Mummy, why is the lion on stage now without the tail when she's dead?" And with that, I would say that this thoughtful and detailed show, presented with skill by the ensemble cast, is not something for everyone, and younger children are going to get lost along the way.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 16.12.22
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