Father Christmas Has the Flu (edition 2011)

Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 145207478X, Paperback)

Set in Father Christmas' house in Sweden, this charming play by Dulce Rodrigues takes place in that holiday season. Regrettably, Father Christmas has come down with the flu. How will he deliver the presents? His assistant Elf dreams of playing Father Christmas for one night but Mrs. Christmas and her husband don't think it's a good idea. Instead they place an ad for a substitute and a young man who had once replaced the Finnish Father Christmas shows up.

Angry because the Christmases did not think he was responsible enough to deliver the presents, Elf plays a prank on the substitute... Yet Father Christmas has no idea that this has happened until his replacement arrives in desperation. After confronting him, Elf confesses what he has done... and he is badly suffering the consequences...

The book also features the story of Saint Nicholas, this mythical white-bearded gift-giving figure who entered our imagination in the form of Father Christmas or Santa. The Christmas carol "We wish you a Merry Christmas" is sung at the end of the play; a recipe for Mother Christmas Chocolate Cake and a few easy drawings for Christmas decorations are also included. Included are also production notes for stage performance in a classroom.

If there is a character with whom we never get bored, that character is no doubt Father Christmas. With its twist on characters from the holiday season and its foreign setting, "Father Christmas has the Flu" may appeal to a wide audience. Both adults and children may be entertained by this charming play.