CHRISTMAS CAROL GOES WRONG West End Reviews

There are plenty of laughs to be had in the moments leading up to the actual presentation of  A Christmas Carol itself, including some particularly lengthy production meeting notes and lights falling from the rigging (according to Trevor, it’s nat...

There are plenty of laughs to be had in the moments leading up to the actual presentation of  A Christmas Carol itself, including some particularly lengthy production meeting notes and lights falling from the rigging (according to Trevor, it’s natural selection), but, as it tends to be with the “Goes Wrong” shows, the main event is the actual play within a play. The set is wonderfully designed by Libby Todd, with a range of set pieces transforming into locations like Scrooge’s office, the Victorian streets of London and, of course, the graveyard the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (a costume highlight, designed by Roberto Surace) brings Scrooge to (though it might not be what they expect!). 

Some of the slapstick is a bit tedious, with oversized costumes causing a few too many pratfalls... But it all gets neatly tied into both layers of the play. I doubt Mischief are as desperate as their Cornley characters for a good review, but bravo t...

Some of the slapstick is a bit tedious, with oversized costumes causing a few too many pratfalls... But it all gets neatly tied into both layers of the play. I doubt Mischief are as desperate as their Cornley characters for a good review, but bravo to them anyway.

The play within the play upends Charles Dickens’s perennial by making Tiny Tim a towering monster and leaving Scrooge even more bitter at the end of the tale. But the backstage story delivers goodwill when megalomaniacal director Chris – too chea...

The play within the play upends Charles Dickens’s perennial by making Tiny Tim a towering monster and leaving Scrooge even more bitter at the end of the tale. But the backstage story delivers goodwill when megalomaniacal director Chris – too cheap to turn the heating on – warms to his theatrical companions and vice versa.

Throughout, the slapstick is expertly handled. Tannahill’s Jonathan, as Jacob Marley, ends up dragging a chair, a bed and the hapless Trevor across the stage in his chains. Later, Trevor plays a top-heavy version of the spectre he calls The Ghost o...

Throughout, the slapstick is expertly handled. Tannahill’s Jonathan, as Jacob Marley, ends up dragging a chair, a bed and the hapless Trevor across the stage in his chains. Later, Trevor plays a top-heavy version of the spectre he calls The Ghost of Christmas Who’s About to Come, and demolishes the graveyard set. “Who cares about the review?” the cast ask after the curtain has come down on their amateur shambles, and it must be said that Mischief are probably critic proof by now. But for what it’s worth, I’m a convert.

Libby Todd’s set design and Roberto Surace’s costumes are a match for the larger-than-life madness. DiCarlo, who made such a fine job of keeping all the plot lines spinning in the multi-layered Comedy About Spies, is equally accomplished here. It...

Libby Todd’s set design and Roberto Surace’s costumes are a match for the larger-than-life madness. DiCarlo, who made such a fine job of keeping all the plot lines spinning in the multi-layered Comedy About Spies, is equally accomplished here. It’s no easy job to keep a production teetering on the edge of disaster. These actors know how to fail with a flourish.

Lots of the amusement comes from Chris’ bubbling anger as everything falls apart. But there’s plenty of physical comedy too – at one point, Robert is held captive inside an enormous Maltesers box, along with the round chocolates. And considerin...

Lots of the amusement comes from Chris’ bubbling anger as everything falls apart. But there’s plenty of physical comedy too – at one point, Robert is held captive inside an enormous Maltesers box, along with the round chocolates. And considering Mischief’s global success, we can safely assume that watching people fall over and forget things is more than enough to get a room giggling en masse – at points, it feels like the whole crowd is in hysterics. When Lewis and Sayer first come onstage, they’re greeted like celebrities with massive cheers. It’s still the sort of stuff best enjoyed with a drink in hand. But if there’s any time to get drunk in the theatre, it’s Christmas, isn’t it?

Not every joke works, and some of them (Robert trapped in a giant gift box, a garish, anachronistic toy kitchen made to human scale that bursts into life at inopportune moments) outstay their welcome. Mostly though, this is an irresistible Christmas ...

Not every joke works, and some of them (Robert trapped in a giant gift box, a garish, anachronistic toy kitchen made to human scale that bursts into life at inopportune moments) outstay their welcome. Mostly though, this is an irresistible Christmas treat, and it has real heart too: Scrooge-like Chris has an outlook change worthy of Ebenezer himself and in keeping with the spirit of the original Dickens.