It’s that blooming time of year again, and Father Christmas has a busy night ahead.
Pins and Needles has recreated Raymond Briggs’s much-loved cartoons to bring a day in the life of Santa to delight audiences young and not so young.
Nathan Masterson is a rather grumpy St Nick whose dreams of a holiday in the sun have to be parked as there is much to do: feeding reindeer, loading the sleigh, time in the outside loo… and more… before taking to the skies with a thermos, radio, sandwiches and plenty of presents.
Max Humphries’s puppets are charming: a minxy, slipper-stealing dog, duvet-anchoring cat and fab reindeer, while Zoe Squire’s set is beautifully constructed to move from a sparse North Pole homestead to worldwide cityscapes. Iconic sights—the Eiffel Tower, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Buckingham Palace etc—are interspersed with glimpses of partying adults and excited kids.
With igloos and lighthouses a particular challenge—as well as a narrow chimney—Father Christmas certainly deserves his turkey dinner on touchdown.
It is a simple, homespun and beautifully constructed 50 minutes: no great storylines here, but there is much on many levels to amuse all ages—and for us oldies, the on-stage sound effects and musical accompaniment from Stacey Ghent is mesmerising and fun.