Review: A Christmas Carol(ish) (@sohoplace)

Review by Sophie Wilby 

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After the press night left me feeling a little bah humbug after a series of technical difficulties led to the second act being cancelled, I was glad to return to A Christmas Carol(ish) to soak up some festive cheer. It might feel that there are enough productions of Dickens’ timeless classic to fill every day of December, but this twist on the tale is unlike any other (and yes, I include the gold standard A Muppets’ Christmas Carol in this comparison) and should be high up on anyone’s Christmas List. This show-within-a-show delivers twist-upon-twist and while some of these twists may work better than others, it will undoubtedly leave you feeling full of Christmas cheer. 

Alongside his long-suffering producer and co-star Mr Goldsworth (David Elms), the two-time Emmy award nominee (as the audience is reminded) Nick Mohammed’s alter ego Mr Swallow is putting on an ever-so-slightly edited production of A Christmas Carol, whereby Scrooge is also Santa. Obsessed with cutting costs and maximising profits, Scrooge-y Santa cancels Christmas much to the dismay of his overworked and underpaid elves (David Elms and Martha Howe-Douglas) and lone reindeer Rudolf (Kieran Hodgson). Much like Dickens’ Scrooge, he is then visited by the ghost of his deceased Head Elf (cleverly named Elf Marley) who warns him that the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future will soon be showing him the error of his ways - and that is essentially where the similarity in the story ends. 

It is certainly more complicated than Dickens intended. As the meta-storytelling begins to unfold, it is both Santa as a character and Mr Swallow himself who are faced with the consequences of their actions. This alone would confuse things enough but with the addition of the Mischief Comedy-esque (like Peter Pan Goes Wrong) components of Mr Swallow admitting to not learning certain scenes, resulting in comically disastrous ‘improv’, and co-star Rochelle (Martha Howe-Douglas) interjecting to promote her new album, it becomes mostly well-crafted chaos. 

And I say mostly because of the slightly disappointing second act. Act one ending after the visits of two out of three ghosts left me wondering how they would fill the second act. Unfortunately, it felt a little as if they were similarly unsure. It (almost literally, thanks to an opening holiday scene) jumps the shark as it delves into confusing, unaligned set pieces that feel like you’re watching a sketch show. Not to say that it isn’t still funny, but the introduction of Jesus’ birth story, which took up a decent amount of time, felt like unnecessary filler and spoiled the story's momentum.  As too many cooks can spoil the broth, too many ideas can spoil the production, and it was perhaps trying to do a little too much in this second act which ultimately detracted from what was largely a fun and interesting take on A Christmas Carol. 

It is difficult, however, to fault the other elements of this production. From the beautifully detailed, interactive and charming set (Fly Davis) which brings that extra shot of Christmas magic to the bright and colourful costumes (Fly Davis) where even the “Zara Home” bedsheet has its charm, it is a real festive feast for the eyes. And it is a feast for the ears too, with a wide range of well-crafted musical numbers (music by Oliver Birch, lyrics by Nick Mohammed) from a ballad of the Reindeer’s plight to an upbeat love song about a turkey - even when acknowledged as being overly long, the clever lyrics and catchy tunes keep you hooked. 

Similarly, everything about the cast is brilliant. Nick Mohammed bursts onto the stage with infectious enthusiasm and a high energy that each cast member matches perfectly. Elms transitions between the variety of characters whilst still maintaining his slightly defeated, desperate air as Mr Goldsworth reigns in his frustration with Mr Swallow. Howe-Douglas is the perfect wannabe Diva who you can’t help but secretly root for, whilst Hodgson is a more reserved character which only serves to heighten his moments in the spotlight including an almost hauntingly beautiful rendition of ‘Silent Night’ in German. Together, the cast bounce off of each other with exceptional comedic timing - it’s punchy, it’s fast and it feels as though they are having as much fun as their audience.

As Mr Swallow himself tells us, “It’s okay to be okay…just not now” and if anything is going to make you feel okay - and probably, a lot more than okay - this Christmas then this twist on the classic tale might just be it. Leave any expectations of a clear narrative at the door but A Christmas Carol(ish) is a festive feast for the senses – brilliantly chaotic, hilariously unpredictable, and brimming with Christmas cheer.

A Christmas Carol(ish) plays at @sohoplace until December 31st

For tickets and information visit https://sohoplace.org/shows/a-christmas-carol-ish

Photos by Matt Crockett