Matthew Wolfenden stars in ELF at London’s Dominion Theatre

Photo: Matt Crockett

After devoting almost two decades to Emmerdale, TV star Matthew Wolfenden will leave the hit soap opera and return to the stage by first starring as Buddy in the smash-hit musical adaptation of ELF at London’s Dominion Theatre for a strictly limited season until 6th January 2024. He will be joined by Tom Chambers, who reprises the role of Walter Hobbs.

They join the previously announced Georgina Castle as Jovie, Rebecca Lock as Emily Hobbs, Nicholas Pound as Santa, Kim Ismay as Debs and Dermot Canavan as Store Manager.

Ben Lancaster (POLICE COPS: The Musical, Edinburgh Fringe & Southwark Playhouse) will alternate the role of Buddy at certain scheduled performances.

Photo: Matt Crockett

Also in the cast are Rhys Batten (The SpongeBob Musical, UK Tour), Evonnee Bentley-Holder (Aint Too Proud, Prince Edward Theatre), Marie Finlayson (TINA – The Tina Turner Musical, West End), Aimée Fisher (Groundhog Day, The Old Vic), Farirayi Garaba (The SpongeBob Musical, UK Tour), Alex Given (The Book of Mormon, West End), Morgan Gregory (Disney’s Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park), Samuel John-Humphreys (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, UK Tour/Toronto), Keir Hylands (Frozen, Theater an der Elbe, Hamburg), Dominic Lamb (Legally Blonde, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Ellis Linford-Pill (We Will Rock You, London Coliseum), Theo Reece (The SpongeBob Musical, UK Tour), Chloe Saunders (Grease, West End), Heather Scott-Martin (Singin’ in the Rain, Sadler’s Wells London, Japan & UK Tour), Jessica Spalis (MAMMA MIA! The Party, O2 London), Katie Warsop (Annie, West End & Toronto) and Natalie Woods (Wind in the Willows, London Palladium).

Jude Farrant (Matilda the Musical, West End), Daniel Lee (Glory Ride, West End), Oliver Ravelini (Winnie the Pooh, Riverside Studios) and Austin Riley (The Osmonds, UK Tour) will alternate the role of Michael.

Matthew Wolfenden is best known for playing David Metcalfe in Emmerdale (ITV1), a role he leaves after 18 years to return to the stage. His other television credits include the seventh series of Dancing on Ice (ITV1), which he went on to win, guest presenter on This Morning, Loose Women and Lorraine (ITV 1), panellist on Loose Men (ITV1), The Real Full Monty (ITV1), Jason in Hollyoaks: Let Loose (E4) and Timmy Pain in The Courtroom (Mersey Television). His theatre work includes Sex, Chips and Rock ’n’ Roll (Royal Exchange, Manchester), Tomfoolery (National Tour), Aladdin (The Old Vic), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (National Theatre), Saturday Night Fever (National Tour) and Romeo and Juliet (Piccadilly Theatre).

Tom Chambers is best known for his roles in Father Brown (BBC), Holby City (BBC), Casualty (BBC) and Waterloo Road (BBC). His theatre credits include Dial M for Murder (UK tour), Crazy for You (Watermill Theatre and UK Tour), Stepping Out (Electric Theatre), Private Lives (UK Tour), White Christmas (West End and Sunderland Empire), Top Hat (West End), Bloody Poetry (Brockley Jack Theatre), Pendragon Pellinore (City Theatre, New York/Sadler’s Wells), October’s Children (Lyric Hammersmith), Cyrano de Bergerac and Macbeth (Derby Rep Theatre), Damn Yankees (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre), The Innocents (Derby Playhouse), The Rover (Young Vic Studio) and Journey’s End and Blue Remembered Hills (Courtyard Theatre). Some of his other TV work includes Midsomer Murders (ITV), Emmerdale (ITV), The Great Train Robbery (World Productions), The Last Will and Testament of Billy (BBC) and Elizabeth The Virgin Queen (BBC). Tom is currently on tour in Murder in the Dark for the Original Theatre Company.

After a seven-year absence from the West End, ELF’s 2022 sold-out run at the Dominion was proof of the production’s public and critical success, facilitating its return in 2023 due to popular demand.

Photo: Matt Crockett

Based on the beloved 2003 New Line Cinema hit, ELF features a book by Tony Award-winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone), with songs by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer).

This production will once again be directed by Philip Wm. McKinley, with choreography by Liam Steel, original set and costume design by Tim Goodchild, lighting design by Patrick Woodroffe, sound design by Gareth Owen and video design by Ian William Galloway. Casting will be by Grindrod & Burton Casting.

ELF is the funny and charming tale of Buddy, who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts as a baby and is transported back to the North Pole — and raised as an elf! Unaware that he is actually human, Buddy’s enormous size and poor toy-making abilities finally cause him to face the truth and realise he’ll never belong in the North Pole. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York to find his birth father, discover his true identity and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.

ELF is produced by Temple Live Entertainment and directed by Philip Wm. McKinley, with original set and costume design by Tim Goodchild, choreography by Liam Steel, lighting design by Patrick Woodroffe, sound design by Gareth Owen, video design by Ian William Galloway, music supervision by Alan Williams and music direction by Jonathan Gill. Casting is by Grindrod & Burton Casting.

Website: www.elflondon.com

Instagram: @elfmusicalLDN

Facebook: @elfmusicalLDN

X: @elfmusicalLDN

Photo: Matt Crockett

LISTINGS INFORMATION

ELF the Musical

15th November 2023 to 6th January 2024

Dominion Theatre

268-269 Tottenham Court Road

London W1T 7AQ

Box Office: 0345 200 7982