Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Cast: Caitlin Berry, Nicole Deon, Kevin Harvey, Tim Parker, Chloe Pole, Stuart Reid, Mark Rice-Oxley, Liam Tobin, Taylor Walker, Maddison Thew, Eva Connor, Saara Gurjee, Romi Hyland-Rylands, Isaac Lancel-Watkinson, Marlis Robson, Seth Woodason, Natalie Vaughan.
Musicians: George Francis, Ros Jones, Alex Smith, Nick Anderson, Niall Mulvoy, Simeon Scheuber-Rush, Emma Haunton.
Young or old, far and wide, Christmas is more than just a time of celebration and getting what you want, it is about faith, not only the kind that sees church pews overflowing and scenes of midnight masses being screened across national television but faith in one’s self and the trust in others to hope that the world will turn for another year and that we all get to be who we believe that we are meant to be.
The big Christmas film, the one of redemption, of hope, the one where a family is reunited and a stranger comes to town to bring joy to others has always been the marker for nostalgia, of conviction and when transferred to the stage can bring happiness and memory rushing into the hearts of the stony faced and the devoted alike. In Meredith Wilson’s Miracle On 34TH Street: The Musical, hope and love are intertwined but also the question of belief and identity are recognised, the truth of understanding that if someone says that they are someone and they can bring joy to many by living up to that name and not deceive, then there is no harm done.
The musical maybe a different kind of offering than one previously encountered by theatre audiences over the festive period in Liverpool of late, but that does not mean it lacks the subtle gift of love that is needed at this time of year, if anything its uniqueness gives the audience that make their way to the Liverpool Playhouse that extra sense of spirit to deal with the Christmas frenzy, to be able to look life in the eye and say that they too can believe in miracles.
For belief is everything and under the extraordinary eye of Gemma Bodinetz direction, Miracle On 34TH Street: The Musical what transpires on stage is to be applauded, to be congratulated, and with excellent performances from the entire cast, especially the children who are at the very heart of the story and from Tim Parker as Kris Kringle, belief and hope are the emotional heroes that will carry us on into the new year and beyond.
A beautiful, intricate and moving story, a series of songs that are memorable and bountiful, nothing can stop a miracle from happening if enough people believe.
Ian D. Hall