For anyone who is weary of the usual feelgood festive films – Love Actually, Elf, Miracle on 34th Street and so on – a more offbeat offering involving a bunch of bus drivers and a joyfully amateur retelling of the space horror Alien may just appeal.

The documentary Alien on Stage tells the unlikely story of how the bus drivers, plus friends and relatives, decided that rather than put on their usual pantomime they would have a bash at Ridley Scott’s classic – and how, despite shaky sets, dodgy special effects and uneven acting (to put it kindly), they ended up in London’s theatreland.

The documentary has attracted a cult following at film festivals around the world and is available to a wider audience this Christmas on Apple TV+ and Prime Video and streaming services in the US and Canada.

Its makers, Danielle Kummer and Lucy Harvey, said they were delighted it had been released in time for Christmas and felt it had the ingredients of a seasonal feelgood film.

Harvey said: “One of the joys of Alien on Stage is how it unintentionally mirrors the UK’s beloved Christmas tradition of pantomime. You’ve got larger-than-life characters, unexpected comedy, a sense of community involvement and that playful mix of seriousness and silliness.”

Kummer said: “There’s something special about showing it to the people who will truly get the uniquely British humour and charm that runs through it.”