Much-loved comedian and actor Colin Lane joins the cast of Elf The Musical, as the full Australian cast is revealed for the festive production bringing the beloved Christmas film to life at CROWN LIVE from 27 November.
Elf The Musical, inspired by the beloved Christmas film starring Will Ferrell, is the hilarious and heartwarming story of Buddy, a young orphan whose life is changed forever when he mistakenly crawls into Santa’s sack of toys one Christmas Eve.
Raised as an elf at the North Pole, Buddy finally discovers he is human and sets off on a journey to New York City to find his birth father. Along the way he must reconnect with his birth father who’s on Santa’s naughty list, win over a sceptical half-brother who doesn’t believe in Santa, and help restore the magic of Christmas.
Colin Lane will perform the dual roles of Santa and Mr Greenway, Walter Hobbs’ grumpy boss. Best known as one half of the award winning comedy duo Lano & Woodley, Lane has built an impressive career across stage and screen, with theatre credits including Peter and the Starcatcher, Don’s Party and Curtains, and appearances in some of Australia’s best loved television comedies including Fisk, Utopia and Kath & Kim.
“I’ve played plenty of characters over the years, but Santa is a pretty hard one to top. Elf is such a joyful, funny show and I love that it doesn’t take Christmas too seriously, whilst still having a huge heart,” said Lane.
Getting to play both Santa and Mr Greenway – essentially the nicest man in the world and one of the grumpiest – should be enormous fun. I can’t wait to get into the Christmas spirit with Melbourne.”
Lane is joined by Gareth Isaac (Waitress The Musical, Grease the Musical) as Buddy, reprising the role following acclaimed performances in the Australian premiere season at Sydney Opera House; and Brianna Bishop (Grease the Musical) as Buddy’s love interest, Jovie.
Adam Murphy (Aladdin, Sister Act, Wicked) as Buddy’s Dad, Walter Hobbs; Katrina Retallick (Come From Away) as Emily and Ryan Yeates (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) as Michael, complete the Hobbs family;
Hollie James (Mary Poppins) plays Mr Greenway’s cheerful secretary, Deb; Elandrah Tavares (Waitress The Musical, Hamilton) as the no-nonsense Store Manager; and Joel Granger as Buddy Alternate/Ensemble, bringing the much-loved holiday classic to life for Melbourne audiences.
Completing the talented cast are ensemble performers Jack Coyne, Marina Grace Lee, Lachlan Inwood, Joseph Naim, Max Patterson, Jayden Prelc, Annabelle Rosewarne, Rose Shannon-Duhigg, and Nicole Vella.
“We are excited to introduce the incredible all-Australian cast bringing Elf The Musical to life in Melbourne this Christmas. The show is filled with heart, humour and festive spirit, and we have assembled a wonderful company to share the magic of this much-loved story,” said Australian producer John Frost.
“In the words of Buddy himself, the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear! And that’s exactly what we’ll be doing every performance,” said Gareth Isaac who plays Buddy.
“This is a big blockbuster of a show and one that leaves the audience smiling ear to ear. It’s a joy to play Buddy every show, and we think Melbourne audiences will enjoy it just as much as Sydney did!”
Elf the Musical features songs by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway, The Wedding Singer). The story comes to life with a book by Tony Award-winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone).
Directed by Eric Giancola, with choreography by Mitchell Woodcock and music direction by Vicky Jacobs. Joining them to bring this magical feat to life is an incredible production team, including Video Design by David Bergman (The Picture of Dorian Gray, Muriel’s Wedding The Musical), Set Design by Nick Fry (Titanique), Sound Design by James Kohler (Frozen), and Lighting Design by Trent Suidgeest (Phar Lap The Musical).
Elf the Musical will play at the new theatre, CROWN LIVE, from 27 November – 27 December 2026. Tickets on sale from Friday 4 September. For more information, visit: www.elfthemusical.com.au for details.
Image: Colin Lane (supplied)