The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot
The Arches
MARY BRENNAN
***
A long the road, at the Arches, we make the acquaintance of an affable old duffer who positively adores everything about Christmas – even Brussels sprouts. Just as we’re wondering why this Mr McGregor has a turkey called Belinda living in a chest of drawers, the paperboy arrives full of gloom and sighs – Santa hasn’t left him any presents.
A year later, same thing. The year after that – nothing, and Johnny (Alasdair Hankinson) is hiding the hurt and disappointment by adopting a “don’t care, hate Christmas” attitude. But why does Mr McGregor (David Ireland) take Santa’s lapse into forgetfulness so personally? Could this be why Christmas drops off the calender altogether?
Youngsters at the top end of the recommended 3 to 8 age range will join up the dots nicely scattered through Oliver Emanuel’s two-hander but the littlest ones will be clueless as to Mr McG’s true identity until Johnny – genuinely concerned at the dismal, grumpy changes in his reclusive elderly neighbour – discovers boxes of white beards, sleigh bells, and a list of children’s names from all across the world.
Then it is vroom-vroom on Santa’s diesel sleigh and Johnny to the rescue, because the true mean-
A bit of clever thinking saves the day, and Tiny is welcomed into the workforce with our rousing choruses of the elves’ song
ing of Christmas lies in the giving, not the taking. By the end, Johnny’s altruistic kindness brings him thrills and happiness and Mr McG’s unassuming front room has been revealed as a surprisingly magic place! Elsewhere, the 3 to 5 year olds at Scottish Opera’s touring show for little ones are more than keen to count sheep – not in any bid to snooze off, but because Farmer MacNeep has lost two sheep and doesn’t know where to find them in all the snow. Valiant sheepdog Flossie would usually be quick off the mark, but a cold has kyboshed her sense of smell – will the cuddly-cute Barry and Barbara end up as frozen lamb? Perish the thought, even if they are woolly puppets.
A cast of four – two of them musicians-cum-puppeteers – spin an essentially simple tale into a gorgeous piece of music theatre that looks and sounds captivating against a backcloth of snowy skies, wooden step ladders and planks functioning as bunk beds, lookouts and (under a white sheet) a sheltering snow-drift.
The music, by Gareth Williams, balances jolly rum-ti-tum songs against a more sophisticated style of melody, beautifully sung by young Scottish soprano Marie Claire Breen as Flossie (and others).
Chris Alexander, in long johns, is a lovably lackadaisical Mr MacNeep – in a pink frock and high heels, he’s a (bearded!) Mrs Piggie helping to find the missing sheep.