While I’m a cynical native Londoner, even I buy into the idea that there’s nowhere quite like the big city at Christmas. So, when I arrived at Trafalgar Square and saw the Christmas market and the (slightly sad, granted) Trafalgar Square tree, my Christmas spirit began to peak.
I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t even realise there was a theatre in the National Gallery, much less visited it, but it’s a neat and spacious auditorium that I’d definitely return to. The stage for Picture Perfect Christmas is set to resemble Hendrick Avercamp’s wintery painting and set designer Jill Wilson has done an incredible job of creating something that’s both magically beautiful and pleasingly functional.
Writer and director Francesca Renèe Reid uses the painting as the inspiration for the production, with lead characters Frederick (Ciarán McCormack) and Maaike (Elizabeth Coverdale) trapped by the wicked Engelberg in an enchanted forest where they have to rely on the kindness of woodland creatures to break Engelberg’s wintery spell and escape back to their families. The plot is sort of Wizard of Oz meets The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe but with a delightful sprinkling of Disney-style musical numbers. The songs all have that family-friendly singalong quality and focus on life lessons – being brave, working together and (very of the minute) not letting your anger control you and learning to sit with your feelings. I wish this had been around when I was a kid, I’d have saved an absolute fortune on therapy sessions.
While the plot is your classic family adventure fare, it took the audience a while to realise that this is in fact a beautifully designed classic pantomime. Engelberg (whose make up and costume are quite exquisite) is your typical pantomime villain – camp and bold, with some witty one liners thrown in for the parents. Before long the assembled audience were booing at him unprompted, warmed up by a song and dance with Badger (Kieron Providence) about being ‘small but mighty’ – which at 5”1 even I could relate to. Once cast and audience find their pace, the show settles into being a delightfully fun, Christmassy family show. The vocal performances are a joy, the cast is full of energy and the young audience were – in some cases, almost literally – bouncing around the theatre with uncontainable glee. At a 60-minute run time with no interval, this is a (picture) perfect Christmas holiday activity that can easily be slotted into a day in London soaking up the festivities, and I’ll be recommending it to all my friends who have afternoons to fill with wee ones next week.
Picture Perfect Christmas runs at various times throughout the day until 23rd December, https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/whats-on/picture-perfect-christmas
Reviewer: Zoë Meeres
Reviewed: 17th December 2022
North West End UK Rating: ★★★★