Santa's show is some toe-tapping festive fun

It is billed as a family play, and Stratford on Stage's latest production 'Where is Santa?' certainly is.

With a talented cast of adults and children, 'Where is Santa?' gets you tapping your feet to the music early on, and by the end you will be dancing in the aisles.

The cast, under the direction of Ellie Hitchcock, who created the performance herself, keep the show moving at a fast and enjoyable pace. With choreography by Becky Walsh, the dance scenes are flawless, from the youngest on stage through to the more experienced. Everyone clearly knows what they are doing.

From group performances to solo acts, there is plenty of talent on display and the whole show is driven by the storyline of Santa having gone missing in Taranaki. Lovable elves Bip and Bop, along with Mama Elf (who prefers to be called Teeny ... ) are excellent at linking each performance as well as keeping the audience engaged. Rubeana Reader is brilliant in the role of Teeny, and has the audience laughing throughout.

The show is described as being a Christmas Variety Show, and there is certainly lots of variety, as the talented cast move from versions of favourite seasonal songs such as 'I saw Mummy kissing Santa Claus' through to some fantastic covers of songs like Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah'.

For the younger audience members, it is the audience participation that makes them describe the show as "the best ever," with the seven-year-old ecstatic to have been asked a question by Mama Elf. Meanwhile Master Ten happily jumped up to dance in the aisles, and he was still dancing as we walked to the car afterwards.

He says he liked the parts of the show with lots of children in the most, while his younger sister liked the toy shop scene "which had a beautiful ballerina in it" as well as Bip, Bop and Mama Elf.

Both children agreed Santa Claus was also a highlight of the show. "It didn't feel like it was going to be Christmas next month before we saw the show, but now it does." Miss Seven says she has found plenty of Christmas spirit after watching the show.

Both children agree they would go again and would recommend it to all their friends as well as grandparents. Asked if there is anyone who wouldn't enjoy the show, after some thought, Mr Ten had one suggestion. "Maybe the Grinch, but he would have to try really hard not to sing along at times because it just makes you want to join in even if you don't think you will."