Hurry Up Father Christmas is a truly delightful show for preschool children, brimming with magic and love.

This is a simple story of an elf running out of the magic dust that makes the sleigh fly, then resolving the situation with the help of a small cast of characters, and ultimately FC (the big man himself). There are three cast members (two actors and a very involved tech elf) and between them they provide a host of characters, puppetry, music (an impressive amount of which is backed live) and several opportunities for audience interaction. I was pleased to be bringing a shy child - some of the kids were pretty seething to not talk to Father Christmas on the phone, for instance, so you might want to manage expectations in advance if you think your child might take it badly. They do all get to do something in the end.

I was particularly impressed with the set of the show. The studio was transformed into an extremely convincing “sleigh shed” (grotto, really). There were fairy lights EVERYWHERE, two massive Christmas trees, a cool-looking sleigh and a charmingly detailed backdrop. Like all of the show, it looked like some real care had been taken. This carried over to the tech effects. The lighting design was rich, well thought out and effective, and the simple stage effects were executed beautifully. Simple ideas, done with commitment, were a real hit with the young audience. I was actually pretty moved by the story of Santa’s first unsolicited gifts, told with puppets made out of a wooden spoon and a few paintbrushes, and we were both blown away when the sleigh finally flew.

The actors were incredibly warm and brought a real sense of fun to every one of their characters - a perfect pitch for the age range. The front of house staff were equally kind and enthusiastic, clearly communicating expectations and making even the smallest patron feel welcome. This would make a great first show for a toddler for this reasoning - the atmosphere was incredibly welcoming, and the small studio lacks the formality and potential for overwhelm that comes with bigger spaces. I also appreciated that we were greeted with a waiting room with toys and colouring. No one even tried to sell us any plastic tat! Just great.

So much for the children - this is an absolute banker for the early years crowd. A couple of words of caution on adults - firstly, most of the seating is cushions on the floor, and proper seats are in short supply, so if you can’t sit happily on the floor for an hour, get there early. Another point is that this is a children’s show - not a family show. I definitely shared the odd moment of wonder (that sleigh flight!), and it was perfectly pleasant and extremely non-annoying, but this was definitely a show for my kid, and not for us both.

With that in mind, I cannot recommend this show more highly for a slice of Christmas magic for your little kid.