Christmas is coming and Theatre Severn has an extra treat in store for families with Santa’s New Sleigh showing in the run-up to the big day.
It’s a smaller scale production than Cinderella, the panto which is drawing the crowds over the festive season, but the Walker Theatre offers a more intimate occasion with fantastic audience participation.
Dibs and Sprocket the elves in charge of Santa’s Workshop keep everyone entertained as they frantically try to get the sleigh ready for his big delivery on Christmas Eve.
They need the audience’s help to fix the sleigh, which starts off by helping to wake up the lazy but loveable elf, Sprocket.
There are plenty of songs and singalong opportunities with the audience tasked with various actions to Jingle Bells – and of course a bit of good old fashioned panto-style shouting (DON’T TOUCH THE LEVER!!).
Sprocket provides much of the laughs with some classic slapstick moments and well-crafted jokes, including one involving a telephone which my five-year-old son was reciting for the rest of the day.
The performance ends with an appearance by Santa himself complete with a sprinkling of snow which really adds to the magic.
There is an opportunity for every child in the audience to sit with Santa in his sleigh, have the obligatory photo and receive a Christmas present, which is a lovely way to cap off a charming performance.
Santa’s New Sleigh is a real treat, especially suited to families with younger children, and runs at Theatre Severn’s Walker Theatre until Saturday December 24.
For more details and tickets, visit the Theatre Severn website here.
