“I got lucky, and didn’t really hurt myself, but he ended up cracking his microphone pack on his coccyx!” Georgina Castle on playing Jovie, tritagonist of Elf the Musical at the Dominion Theatre, London this Christmas…
ELF the Musical — based on the 2003 smash movie — score by Matthew Sklar & Chad Beguelin, and book by Bob Martin & Thomas Meehan first opened on Broadway during Christmas 2010. An immediate success, it enjoyed a West End debut in 2015, and an ongoing series of tours and new productions worldwide. For 2022, ELF the Musical, produced by Temple Live Entertainment, has returned to London. Open since November 14th, the show will play the Dominion Theatre until January 7th. Rising West End star, and Jovie to Simon Lipkin’s Buddy, Georgina Castle made time to talk to The QR about her role in one of this season’s undisputable Christmas stage hits…
The show opened on November 14th, so you’re deep into the run with ELF the Musical, Georgina, how is it going?
It’s mad to think we’re almost halfway through! It feels like it’s only just begun. Without sounding like the biggest walking cliche ever, I’m genuinely loving it: there’s very little to not enjoy about the show, especially when you see all the little kids’ faces and they’re all up dancing in the snow. It’s just such fun!
As for Simon Lipkin, he’s hilarious. He changes what he does every single day, continually trying to make everybody laugh. I know we’re three weeks in, but it still feels super, super fresh!
Have there been any particularly memorable moments during the run thus far, good or ill?
I don’t wanna jinx it now, but so far it’s been okay! Not like other shows I’ve been in and some of the crazy things that have happened there!
That said, Simon and I actually go skating during Jovie and Buddy’s date, and in our dress rehearsal we fell over! It’s in the script, I have to fall, and he’s supposed to catch me, but it went wrong, and he very heroically sacrificed himself! He fell backwards, and I landed on him! So I got lucky, and didn’t really hurt myself, but he ended up cracking his microphone pack on his coccyx (that’s bum bone to you and me)! It really, really hurt him..but the microphone still worked somehow!
Never say chivalry’s dead! Now when it comes to your character, Jovie, do you feel sympathy with her? Do you have much in common?
I do actually — weirdly — one hundred percent because — and I know this sounds blasphemous, especially when I’m in ELF — but I’m not a huge fan of Christmas. I’m more of a Summer person. Like, Winter is not really my thing, it’s cold and dark. So I resonate with her because she’s not so much cross or grumpy, but she’s jaded about the whole business, and she’s been hurt. She got her guard up, because she’s been in pain before, and I think everyone can relate to that. Then she’s exposed to Buddy’s innocence and freshness, and her walls melt away. I think that’s what being in ELF has meant to me, it’s melted away any upset or negativity I had around Christmas. Now I’m just really, really enjoying the holiday! I’m a convert!
Is Christmas spirit infecting backstage life?
Backstage life is always such a highlight of being in any show with the little inside jokes, and obviously now that the show has been running for three weeks, people are relaxing into it.
Now there’s more time for conversations. Do I have time to visit this person’s dressing room? Can I play a trick on this person? It’s just really nice to get to know everyone and it is sort of crazy how close you get to a cast when you’re in a show. It happens very, very quick, and we’re already talking about New Year’s Eve plans and it’s like, I’ve known these people for two months, but they become family.
Has anyone emerged as the patriarch or matriarch of the cast?
You know what? There’s a few!
Cause we’ve got Kim Ismay in the cast who’s obviously West End Royalty and Becky Lock who is just epic. She’s in the dressing room next to me, so I go and trouble her a lot. Then obviously there’s Tom Chambers, and Simon Lipkin…but Tom is actually one of the most youthful in the whole cast. He has this fresh innocence and just sort of bandies about everywhere! He’s definitely not the patriarch, but he’s such an asset to the cast, and I adore him.
What do you suppose is the secret to ELF the Musical’s enduring popularity?
Well I suppose it’s centred around Christmas, so it can come back year after year, and be reinvented. That’s not always true though, Christmas shows don’t always stand the test of time, and many become dated quickly.
I think because with this one, the theme is so universal: it’s about family relationships, and discovering your inner child. I don’t think that ever gets old. I think that no matter what age you are, that’s really important. Maybe not in every day life, real life has a habit of getting in the way, but the theme of reconnecting with your inner child is universal.
And playing the Dominion Theatre stage, how is that as a Christmas experience?
It’s like this vast expanse, I mean the Gillian Lynne (Georgina starred there in last year’s well reviewed, but short-lived Cinderella) and the Novello Theatre (where Georgina starred as Sophie in Mamma Mia!) are actually sort of very intimate venues where you’re not far from the audience. Here at the Dominion, you’re constantly 10 metres away at least. When I do steal a cheeky look out into the audience to see where my friends are, it’s hard to spot them!
Obviously I’ve gone out on tour and been in big theatres, but never here in London town. It’s really exciting, though, to look out and just see this huge mass of people, and we’ve been pretty much full every night which is such a gift to an actor!
You’ve had success in both big touring productions, and now in marquee shows. Is staying put the dream?
That’s a really good question because my boyfriend at the moment lives in San Francisco and is from India and travels all around the world all the time. So being in one place is a good thing for him, and for being in better touch with family.
It’s a funny thing how life changes. I’m 30 in a week, so it’s nice to be in one place…but again these things are just to hard to plan. The dream is simply to do great theatre, and if they take you away, then that’s amazing. I’d actually love to do an international production, just for the new experience, and the travel.
Are there any details, or little things about ELF the Musical that you hope an audience notices amongst the Christmas glitz?
Well it’s funny you should ask, because yes I think sometimes when you’re on stage you do hope that certain moments hit home with the audience. The other day I had my dad’s friend, Ian, come to the show with his 6 year old daughter.
She kept making comments, and asking me really thoughtful questions, such as, ‘well why is this Jovie’s favourite colour? Why did you tell Buddy you couldn’t skate, but then you can skate by the end?’
That kid picked up on every single thing, small bits of dialogue, and I though Oh wow! It’s just so nice to see so much of what we want the audience to notice being picked up. It’s reassuring, and makes you feel that putting in the effort to create your character is worthwhile. That was really sweet to hear.
What’s next for Georgina Castle?
My hopes: I really would love to play Vivian in pretty women. I guess that would be my top professional hope. But…I’m also really looking forward to going away for a little bit cause I have Dirty Dancing booked right after ELF, in fact I’ll be doubling up for five weeks. So I’m going to be dosing up on the vitamins for a little, and trying to avoid the cold!
I think this first thing that will happen then is I’ll jump on a cheap flight somewhere warm! When I get back, then I’ll get serious and see what the next thing is.
Christmas Theatre 2022 will be one of the most crucial festive seasons in stage history. TheQR is talking to as many of those making theatre in the UK this year as possible, to play a small part in raising their profile, and opportunities for a successful run. Though many of us face a tough winter, financially speaking, a magical night of theatre offers a (warm) escape for a few hours, and if you have the expendable income available will help support the livelihoods of those who keep that magic alive.
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