Elf: A Christmas Spectacular on the arena stage this Christmas

Buddy the Elf is back for a Christmas Spectacular.

Blackpool actor and singer Tam Ryan returns as leading role in upcoming Elf: A Christmas Spectacular, which is showing at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena on December, 7 and 8.

The musical, boasting a star-studded cast including Coronation Street’s Kym Marsh, 43, and former EastEnders hero Shaun Williamson, 53, is a stage adaptation of the hit 2003 Hollywood movie Elf, starring funnyman Will Ferrell.

Former-Emmerdale actor Tam, 43 who now lives in Blackpool, will play the titular character of Buddy the Elf, who leaves the comfort of the North Pole to go in search of his real-life dad.

The father-of-two said he was excited to be pulling back on his Elf shoes, those made famous by Ferrell in the much-loved Christmas film.

He said: “This is a kind of a reincarnation of Elf - we’ve taken a bit of the film and a bit of the musical and turned it into an arena show.

"In the past it has been done in a very Broadway style, then in a very West End style, so I’ve tried to bring it closer to the film, as the director wanted me to.

“So when one of these American guys saw our production last year and said that he thought Will Ferrell would have appreciated my interpretation of the character, I thought that was great.

“I’m playing Buddy and he gets a bit more license than anyone else.

"There are times when I’m out among the audience, which is one of my favourite bits of the show. It’s a voyage into the unknown.

“The beauty of the character is that everything is new to him, he doesn’t know what popcorn or beer are.

Those bits can’t be scripted and shouldn’t be scripted. It has to be what you find - and those are some of the best moments.”

With three stages, a flying sleigh, an audience snowball fight, amazing CGI-animated backdrops with giant TV screens, Elf is coming to Liverpool in on December 7 and 8.

Tickets from £37.50.

Visit https://buddytheelf.co.uk/elfthemusical/