Not really Getting Santa
07/01/2011
It is a little unfair of me to review Get Santa! at the Royal Court. I'm not fond of songs in plays and I particularly don't like songs that are supposed to be funny. They generally aren't.
Plenty of people seem to have absolutely loved this show with its weird sense of humour, whereas I had to be talked into staying for the second half, which was a bit better.
I don't want to slate it just because it wasn't my cup of tea. It was well done with some great theatrical devices such as the TV screens that appear at the back of the stage for bulletins and people arriving on stage via wires through a skylight has to impress.
The kiddie-ness of Get Santa! was the shrill, excitable, slightly exaggerated acting kind, which I loathe.
It's a nicely different story. A family set up of Gran, Mum, Step-Dad - who's a dog - and daughter Holly. Holly just wants to meet her real Dad and hates Christmas because Santa never gives her what she wants. From here on in, the clue is in the title.
There is a rather sinister toy bear that comes to life and has a Russian accent (it nearly gave me nightmares), Santa's son who is skinny and dresses a bit like an elf and Santa himself who looks like a used-car salesman and is a little bit grumpy and ready to retire.
There is slightly sinister undertone to the whole thing, which is fine but it just wasn't for me. Why did I choose to see it, some may ask? Well it was a fiver, so I thought worth giving it a go.
Get Santa! is a bit like marmite. At the performance I went to not all those contemplating escaping the second half were persuaded to stay and yet I overhead eulogies from several people on my exit. So I'm going to sit on fence with the scoring and give it a three out of five. It gets 3.6 out of five on UpTheWestEnd
Get Santa! is on until Jan 15 plenty of £5 tickets to be had if you fancy it.
RS/BW 6DS
I can hear Poly scoffing as I type this but it is a connection, so there. Miriam Buether was designer for Get Santa! and also also designer for Cock which of course starred Mr W.