The full Australian cast for Elf The Musical has been announced ahead of its Melbourne season at the new CROWN LIVE theatre. Inspired by the Christmas film starring Will Ferrell, the stage production will run from 27 November to 27 December 2026. Additional performances have been scheduled from 15 to 27 December, with tickets going on sale this Friday.
As already confirmed, Gareth Isaac will reprise the role of Buddy following his performances during the musical’s Australian premiere season at the Sydney Opera House.
He will be joined by Brianna Bishop as Jovie, Adam Murphy as Walter Hobbs, Katrina Retallick as Emily and Ryan Yeates as Michael. The principal cast also includes Hollie James as Deb, Elandrah Tavares as the Store Manager and Joel Granger as the alternate Buddy and an ensemble performer.
Comedian and actor Colin Lane will take on the dual roles of Santa and Walter Hobbs’ boss, Mr Greenway. Known as one half of comedy duo Lano & Woodley, Lane’s stage credits include Peter and the Starcatcher, Don’s Party and Curtains. Lane said the contrasting roles of Santa and Mr Greenway would allow him to explore both sides of the production’s Christmas comedy:
I’ve played plenty of characters over the years, but Santa is a pretty hard one to top. Elf is such a joyful, funny show and I love that it doesn’t take Christmas too seriously, whilst still having a huge heart. Getting to play both Santa and Mr Greenway – essentially the nicest man in the world and one of the grumpiest – should be enormous fun. I can’t wait to get into the Christmas spirit with Melbourne
The ensemble features Jack Coyne, Marina Grace Lee, Lachlan Inwood, Joseph Naim, Max Patterson, Jayden Prelc, Annabelle Rosewarne, Rose Shannon-Duhigg and Nicole Vella.
Australian producer John Frost said the company had been assembled to capture the humour and festive spirit of Buddy’s story:
We are excited to introduce the incredible all-Australian cast bringing Elf The Musical to life in Melbourne this Christmas. The show is filled with heart, humour and festive spirit, and we have assembled a wonderful company to share the magic of this much-loved story
Elf The Musical follows Buddy, an orphan who accidentally crawls into Santa’s sack of toys on Christmas Eve and is subsequently raised as an elf at the North Pole. After learning that he is human, Buddy travels to New York City in search of his birth father. During his journey, Buddy attempts to reconnect with his father, who is on Santa’s naughty list, convince his sceptical half-brother that Santa exists and restore the magic of Christmas.
Ticketing information for the Melbourne season of Elf the Musical can be found on the production’s official website.
