Adrian Grove in The Night Before Christmas at Salisbury Playhouse
The Night Before Christmas continues at the Salberg Studio, Salisbury Playhouse until 30 December 2018.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
Pantomime can be a bit loud and scary, not to mention far too long, for tiny tots. When Salisbury Playhouse artistic director Gareth Machin first unwrapped this 55-minute Christmas present for pre-schoolers in the theatre’s smaller Studio space, he was the father of a two-year-old. Bringing back the show two years later – largely due to public demand from parents – his co-writer, musical theatre veteran Glyn Kerslake, is now the father of a two-year-old himself. The symbioses of having your target audience on your doorstep have paid dividends for the pair’s musical collaboration which is a delight from start to finish.
Little has changed from the original: Machin directs, Kerslake is once again at the piano, acting as narrator and accompanist, Joanne Redman returns as the choreographer and, best of all, Zoe Squire’s magical set is back.
Chests of drawers turn into stairs to bed, picture frames become doors and rising moons, letters fly up chimneys and a star cloth draws audible gasps of wonder from a young audience.
There have been tweaks and a new song added, but it remains a little gem for toddlers who gaze with wonder as Santa comes down the chimney and invites them aboard his sleigh for a ride through the night sky.
Clement C Moore’s poem is as much a part of Christmas as decorating the tree and hanging up stockings by the fireside in anticipation of a visit from St Nicholas. Both activities feature heavily as Martha (Katherine Potter) and her parents (Adrian Grove and Lara Stubbs) spend Christmas Eve preparing for Santa’s arrival and anticipating the big day itself.
It looks like a Victorian Christmas card and there’s an old-fashioned simplicity to Mother longing for an orange and Father for a new pair of shoes while Martha’s letter to Santa is full of wishes for others.
The adults in the audience are made to wait for the poem itself, but as the family creep up to bed, we get the first famous lines and then the poem weaves seamlessly in and out of the action, which is brimming with humour and ways to engage tinies.
The nursery group sitting opposite me was immersed throughout, joining in with the finger-waggling, foot-stamping magic song, offering helpful suggestions and volunteering to gift wrap Santa.
Grove, who appeared in the show two years ago, once again doubles amiable Father and very jolly Santa, Stubbs has a lovely voice and warmth as Mother, and Potter is a joy as Martha. The songs are frequent and judged just right for the age range and the actors attack them with gusto.
I can’t think of a better way to introduce very young children to theatre than this glorious festive treat.
Lesley Bates
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