Elf, the festive family hit musical currently playing in the West End, is donating more than £182K to charity after breaking box office records at London’s Dominion Theatre.
On the Christmas production’s gala night on 5 November, £82,588 was raised in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society, while £100,000 from the Christmas Eve performance will be split between the Teenage Cancer Trust and the appeal to support musical theatre star Louise Plowright’s cancer treatment in South Korea.
The stage adaptation of the ever popular Will Ferrell film has proved a hit with seasonal audiences in the capital, repeatedly setting new records at the Dominion.
Elf press night report
With music by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin, and a book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin, Elf tells the story of Buddy, one of Santa’s many miniature helpers who’s not as miniature as all the rest. The reason for this is simple; he’s human but was raised by elves when he snuck into Santa’s sack one night. When the truth emerges, Buddy sets off to find his true father – a regular on the ‘Naughty List’ – and bring the spirit of Christmas back to New York.
Elf’s run in London is seasonally short. It closes at the Dominion on 2 January when it is followed, from 8 February, by The War Of The Worlds.