Christmas Comes to Moominvalley: a magical show that honours Tove Jansson and her creations
Christmas can be a bit of a performance. It often involves harassed people doing a lot. But for many of us, alongside all the stressful preparations, it will include some kind of theatre visit, whether a panto, musical or ballet, such as The Nutcracker.
These days a way to escape the tyranny of digital screens, family trips to the theatre were already a tradition by the end of the 19th century. Children’s books of “the Golden Age” – from Lewis Carroll’s Alice books to JM Barrie’s Peter Pan and Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows – offered fertile ground for stage adaptation and family audiences came flocking.
Today there is enormous choice, and the range on offer is heartening. In London, Jacksons Lane Arts Centre’s festive production Christmas Comes to Moominvalley – returning for the second year and perhaps becoming a tradition of its own – is a charming option for families looking for some Christmas magic and family time together.
The production is based on a supremely well-crafted short story called The Fir Tree by Tove Jansson, whose first Moomin book was published 80 years ago. It follows the Moomin family’s preparations for Christmas. So far, so standard. The interesting twist comes from the fact that Moomins, who usually hibernate through the winter, have no idea of what Christmas actually is.
Accustomed to things like floods, comets and volcanoes, they naturally assume it is a calamity, a dangerous force of nature to be placated. The family do their best to follow protocol and manage to improvise the requisite tree, food and presents.
Like Noel Streatfeild, whose Ballet Shoes (1936) is also being staged for the second time this year at the National Theatre in London, Jansson knows just how much of an undertaking Christmas is and the sense of unpreparedness she conveys throughout is highly relatable:
“I’ve made absolutely no arrangements yet myself,” complains the Hemulen, “and here they send me off to dig you out … Everybody’s running about like mad and nothing’s ready.” Having put in the hard work, the Moomins not only share their Christmas, but hand it over wholesale to other (more knowing, but less well-furnished) creatures.
It’s a story which manages to be positive and heartwarming, championing kindness and generosity (regarded by many as the true values of Christmas), without being in any way schmaltzy or saccharine. It’s a not inconsiderable feat, and something of minor Christmas miracle.
Retaining Jansson’s essence
Jacksons Lane has, then, hit Christmas gold with its source material, especially given the near-cult following of the much-loved Moomins who have been everywhere in this anniversary year. Their first appearance, a few scenes into the show, is a bit of a “Totoro” moment – the audience is primed to love them and palpably delighted when they finally appear.
A strong base is no guarantee for success though, and there are plenty of adaptations of children’s books that have entirely missed the mark (such as Broadway Entertainment Group’s shocking version of The Little Prince in 2022). Happily, this production isn’t one of them.
It’s a well-balanced show in every sense. Christmas Comes to Moominvalley makes the most of the acrobatics and circus skills that Jacksons Lane (itself celebrating its 50th anniversary this year) has nurtured so effectively.
It contrasts the charming but slightly ponderous, plodding Moomin family in their big white suits with a group of zippy, colourfully costumed characters who juggle, lift and tumble. There is also a good balance of pace – dynamic, fast-action scenes are interspersed with quieter, slower moments with harp and song, showcasing the strong clear voice of actress Xenia Garden.
Given this overall sensitivity, it’s a shame that the very poignant and evocative moment when the Moomins gift their entire Christmas tree, presents and food to the less fortunate is slightly rushed. Rather than an act of generosity and selflessness it verges on becoming a hurried offloading motivated by fear.
The show certainly doesn’t forget its written roots though. Much of the text is projected onto the stage backdrop, perhaps as a way around the slightly muffled delivery caused by cumbersome Moomin heads. It’s unclear otherwise quite what the purpose of the words is or who they’re for (certainly not younger children learning to read). But they do mean that Jansson’s presence is there throughout.
The show ultimately succeeds in delivering a memorable show with the wow factor that you want from a Christmas production. The lifts and tumbles – not to mention the literal plate spinning which harried adults will particularly relish and relate to – showcase the physical skills of the performers and are well integrated into the storytelling. The gradual decoration of the tree builds in the second half to deliver a near-perfect image of Christmas magic complete with lights, candles, stars, snow (and sea shells).
A children’s play that asks what Christmas is may seem a bit cerebral and too much like hard work, but Christmas Comes to Moominvalley isn’t this at all. It’s both metaphorically and literally uplifting. It inspires through acts of dazzling physical dexterity while also directing the audience to the words and images of the endlessly talented Tove Jansson.
Christmas Comes To Moominvalley is on at Jacksons Lane Arts Centre, London until Jan 4
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Kiera Vaclavik does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.