The Elves and The Magic Bear

The Doorstep Elves bring their Christmas show to St Albans Museum + Gallery on Saturday 19 December, with four performances throughout the day: 10:30am, 12:00pm, 1:30pm and 3:00pm. It's a 35-minute show, so it's a short one that doesn't overstay its welcome.

The story is a simple one: Santa's Elves find a bag of unopened letters as the countdown to Christmas begins, and they set out to make sure no child goes without a present. They get help from Mrs Claus, the audience and a surprise guest, and the whole thing is built on singing, dancing, magic and a fair bit of silliness. Local mums have called it 'genuine Christmas magic', and one guest described it as 'the best thing we've done all Christmas and we've been to Lapland!'. They say it's for all believers aged 1 to 92, so it's meant to work for the little ones and the adults who come with them.

What makes it a bit more than just the show is what happens after. Every child gets to meet the elves and Mrs Claus, find their name on a giant nice list, and collect a nice-list certificate signed by Mrs Claus. There are elf crafts to get stuck into as well. A costume character bear also features, though it stays back and doesn't go near the audience.

Tickets are £12.50 for adults and children, with under-1s and carers free. All children need to be accompanied by a paying adult. The venue is St Albans Museum + Gallery, in the Town Hall on St Peter's Street, AL1 3DH.