IF THE sparkle of Christmas has somewhat been sucked away during 2020, then it was well and truly restored by Proteus Creation Space with their magical Christmas show.

We have all had to make sacrifices this year because of Covid-19, but children in particular have faced a difficult challenge trying to understand what is going on while their entire lives were turned upside down.

The genius team at Scratch Built Productions put on a show to bring children back to where they belong – in a carefree world of imagination, dreams, magic, and pure joy.

Tickets sold out within minutes, signaling people’s confidence in Proteus Creation Space to put on a quality show which won’t disappoint.

And disappoint they did not. From the moment I arrived with my four-year-old son at the venue, we were treated like VIP guests.

The show Your Christmas Needs You is being performed exclusively for family bubbles, either in person or via Zoom.

It invites participants (which is what we felt like rather than spectators) to take a peek into Christmas HQ and see how the elves are getting on preparing for the big day.

From the outset we were encouraged to interact and join in, with an elf putting us through a series of challenges, not dissimilar to an escape room, to become honorary elves ourselves.

We met various characters along the way, including hilarious puppets which popped up from windows, and even the big man himself, who, thanks to a secretly filled in form submitted prior to the show, amazed my son with his knowledge.

“It must be the real Santa,” my son concluded excitedly, “Because he knew what my curtains looked like.”

It was a delight to watch my son enthusiastically taking part in the challenges, from throwing balls into a bucket, dancing, ringing bells, and even painting.

When he was asked by Mrs Christmas if he knows where he lives on the globe, I burst with pride when he confidently answered “Yes” before giving his road name.

This was a show like no other, personalised using information gained through the secret form I had filled in, transforming it into an experience which is now firmly placed at the top of my list of best moments of 2020, and one I will never forget.

“I want to do it again,” my son said as soon as we left, and didn’t stop talking about it for the rest of the day, even recreating some of the challenges at home so his dad could join us in becoming an elf.

For those families lucky enough to secure tickets, they are in for a real treat. The show offers the chance to escape from real life for a moment and immerse yourself in the wonderous world of childhood imagination, and the excitement of Christmas.

Whatever bad news 2020 has brought, we ended it on a festive high, and one which has set us up perfectly to embrace the magic of Christmas – something Covid-19 will never take away.