Help! I’ve Lost The Christmas List Review
Written by Stacy for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
I walked into Help! I've Lost the Christmas List with the same thrill I feel every year. Tree Stump Theatre never misses. They understand exactly what a show for very young audiences should feel like and they deliver it with care, colour and confidence.
From the opening moment the stage looked gorgeous. Every costume felt vibrant, detailed and bursting with personality. The quick changes kept the energy high and each new character felt like a surprise gift. The four actors (Abigail Lawson, Andrew Dawson, Eleanor Chaganis and Lawrence Neale) shifted effortlessly between characters and accents without dropping a beat. Watching them transform again and again with such precision and playfulness was a joy in itself and kept the children gleefully alert to every new arrival.
The songs were catchy in the best possible way. I left humming more than one tune and I know the children around me did too. The pace never dipped. Scene changes were sleak and folded into the action so naturally that the story flowed in one smooth line. It felt as if each new moment simply grew out of the last, making the whole experience seamless and easy for the young audience to follow.
As the final message of the show arrived, delivered by the Big Man himself, I felt myself well up. It was a simple and beautiful reminder of what matters and it landed exactly as intended. This production is theatre for young audiences at a very high standard. It is warm, spirited and completely bang on brief. I loved every moment.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
