Let’s start on a positive before I get lambasted for the abhorrent festive oversight I’m about to confess to.

Christmas films I have seen (not exhaustive or including, to my shame, those afternoon ones on Five where top exec who relocated to city returns home to twee town she grew up in, for Christmas, falls in love and remembers the little girl she used to be yadda yadda yadda):

• It’s a Wonderful Life
• Santa Clause the Movie
• Elf
• Trading Places (yes it is)
• Gremlins (yes it is)
• The Family Man (yes it’s Nic Cage, deal)
• Babycakes (yes it is)
• A Christmas Carol (all of them)
• Scrooged (see above)
• Love Actually (I succumbed, actually)

But I haven’t seen Miracle on 34th Street. I haven’t seen the original, I haven’t seen the remake.

Not a conscious decision, it just happened (or rather didn’t). So there’s that.

But deliciously this allowed me to approach this production at entry/level, with no preconceptions, no comparators, no ‘oh but that didn’t happen in the film(s).’

A major New York department store is on the brink of collapse and their upcoming Christmas sale has to be a success.

When their Santa quits at the last minute they’re left with a kindhearted stranger who is convinced he’s the real deal to save the day.

But when he is arrested, the fate of Christmas is in the hands of a child called Susan. Can she restore the world’s belief in Santa Claus?

And the headline is that the story is charming (but then you probably already knew that). Also charming is this musical production, Meredith Willson’s Miracle on 34th Street, currently showing at HOME until 31 December. Charming, sweet as sugar but never sickly and with the perfect dose of twee that we demand from our festive formats.

The set, the shelves of the toy shop that frame the stage is simple but enough to evoke that magical feeling you thought you may have left behind some years ago.

But it is the cast, costuming, choreography and cheer that opens up the stage and lights it up like a thousand Christmas trees. I can’t speak highly enough of a main cast and ensemble who navigate their way through various scenes, set-ups, big song-dance numbers, costume changes and even character changes, with enthusiasm, pitch-perfect comic timing and panache. A live band completing proceedings, this is a talented outfit which doesn’t waste one second in entertaining its audience.

Early on in proceedings, having taken a magical trip from modern-day England to 1930s New York, we’re treated to a stage transformed into a living breathing Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. This is right ahead of our foray into the world of said-store, where we meet our is he/isn’t he Father Christmas (I’m Gen X, I’m stuck on this term) amidst a flurry of activity as our frazzled employees enter the Christmas shopping period, each armed with a sparkling smile, a cheery disposition and an over-order of thousands of plastic alligators which require shifting – armed only with a desire to keep their jobs and a hastily written jingle to send them on their way.

These scenes are farcically funny, witty, rapid-fire and bring in some big laughs amongst the audience, bringing a perfect balance to the more sentimental and deliberately slower set-ups as the side-plot love story plays out.

I, perhaps predictably (although only if you’ve seen the production yourself) am going to single out our young actress Karis who plays our central character, Susan, who is breathtakingly talented throughout the show. As she sings ,dances, acts and seamlessly swaps accents from english to american, as the location and reality commands, this captivating and charismatic actress is a scene-stealer. You may have recently seen her in the role of “Young Elphaba” in the new Wicked feature film, alongside Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.  I’d say a star in the making, but I think we’re probably already there. I should also point out that the role of Susan is shared with two other young actresses throughout the run who I’m sure will bring their own individual delights to the character.

My one criticism of the production is the length. Now I’m a big girl and I’ve sat through your Oppenheimers, your Citizen Kanes and many an opera in my time. I can sit still, focus and allow myself to drift into an art-form until it’s naturally time to go. But I think, inclusive of an interval, a show which commences at 7.30pm, ends at nearly 10.10pm, and encourages children as young as 8 to attend, might be a longer than it needs. I say this supportively as the show deserves full attention from its audiences and it’s a shame to risk diluting the enjoyment with a slight overstay of welcome.

But welcome it is, and a fine opportunity to inject some festive, family fun into your plans these holidays.

To read more about the cast, crew, production and buy tickets and for your chance to have your Christmas wish read out on stage (big up to Hebden Bridge last night), head to https://homemcr.org/production/miracle-on-34th-street/