For one evening only, North West Theatre Arts Company (NWTAC) produced a variety show of excerpts from their favourite Christmas films.
The large cast, ranging in age from very young (perhaps about 6 years old), to adult, took us through ten films with the help of a couple of sofa-sitting comperes, who, at the side of the stage, ostensibly in the comfort of their own lounge, watched the films on TV, commenting on them as we went through. This style of compering was a lovely idea, and brought out some nice comedy for the two young girls tasked with this job. In the first act the two were a little too young to truly find the nuances of what they were saying - but nevertheless it was funny and a wonderful learning curve for them. Whilst the second act saw two slightly older girls perform this task, and they were much more natural relaxing more into these roles. This due entirely to age and experience.
The films were sometimes shown as potted versions of the entire film, cramming as much plot into their allotted time as possible. these were acted (mostly) but sometimes the film's more famous songs were sung too. Other times, an excerpt from the film was presented, which gave the company more licence to sing and dance. And one of their chosen films, 'Die Hard', was the film's own trailer projected onto a screen at the rear. The company took us through, 'The Muppet Christmas Carol', 'The Grinch', 'It's A Wonderful Life', 'The Snowman', 'Home Alone', 'Home Alone 2', The Nightmare Before Christmas', 'Love Actually', 'Miracle On 34th Street' and 'Elf'.
I have to admit to not having watched the vast majority of the films presented this evening, and so found myself being entertained by theatrical versions of films unknown to me. This was an interesting experience, and confirmed that I was right not to have watched the films in the first place their entirety! (bah humbug!)
These short precised versions made us laugh, sing-along, and feel the joy of this time of year. The company was a mix of those I have seen several times before on the NWTAC stage, and some new talent too. Congratulations to all involved.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 25.11.23
on - 25.11.23
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