After devoting almost two decades to Emmerdale, TV star Matthew Wolfenden will leave the hit soap opera and return to the stage by first starring as Buddy in the smash-hit musical adaptation of ELF at London’s Dominion Theatre for a strictly limited season from 15 November 2023 until 6 January 2024. He will be joined by Tom Chambers, who reprises the role of Walter Hobbs.
They join the previously announced Georgina Castle as Jovie, Rebecca Lock as Emily Hobbs, Nicholas Pound as Santa, Kim Ismay as Debs and Dermot Canavan as Store Manager.
Ben Lancaster (POLICE COPS: The Musical, Edinburgh Fringe & Southwark Playhouse) will alternate the role of Buddy at certain scheduled performances.
Also in the cast are Rhys Batten (The SpongeBob Musical, UK Tour), Evonnee Bentley-Holder (Aint Too Proud, Prince Edward Theatre), Marie Finlayson (TINA – The Tina Turner Musical, West End), Aimée Fisher (Groundhog Day, The Old Vic), Farirayi Garaba (The SpongeBob Musical, UK Tour), Alex Given (The Book of Mormon, West End), Morgan Gregory (Disney’s Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park), Samuel John-Humphreys (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, UK Tour/Toronto), Keir Hylands (Frozen, Theater an der Elbe, Hamburg), Dominic Lamb (Legally Blonde, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Ellis Linford-Pill (We Will Rock You, London Coliseum), Theo Reece (The SpongeBob Musical, UK Tour), Chloe Saunders (Grease, West End), Heather Scott-Martin (Singin’ in the Rain, Sadler’s Wells London, Japan & UK Tour), Jessica Spalis (MAMMA MIA! The Party, O2 London), Katie Warsop (Annie, West End & Toronto) and Natalie Woods (Wind in the Willows, London Palladium).
Jude Farrant (Matilda the Musical, West End), Daniel Lee (Glory Ride, West End), Oliver Ravelini (Winnie the Pooh, Riverside Studios) and Austin Riley (The Osmonds, UK Tour) will alternate the role of Michael.
