21 ROUND FOR CHRISTMAS at the Park Theatre

★★★★

“There is an ease to the performance that disguises the daunting task of being alone on stage for an hour and a quarter”

There are plenty of theatre shows that pop up at this time of year that like to describe themselves as an ‘alternative’ Christmas gig. Not all live up to the accolade. “21 Round for Christmas” is one that does. Its originality sneaks up on you like the punchline of a shaggy dog story, hiding for much of the time behind the kitchen sink drama of a meandering monologue that, at times, veers as far away from ‘festive’ as the Grinch on speed.

Tracy is holed up in the kitchen, attempting to prepare Christmas Dinner, while a motley crew of assorted members of her extended family are making merry (a loose term) across the hallway. The turkey (and various substitutes to cater for multiple dietary demands) is, literally, left on the back burner. She blames us – the audience – for distracting her and allowing her to unleash her candid and foul-mouthed reminiscences while mother-in-law’s vegan tart burns. She often addresses a photograph stuck to the fridge door – a snapshot of her absent, best friend Jackie. It is the past escapades of the two of them that comprise the bulk of the narrative, the humour and occasional moments of pathos. The anecdotes gush forth, but too often they have little connection to the dramatic frame around which they are structured, and they become off-the-shelf recollections that could fit any scenario.

Cathy Conneff, as Tracy, is brash, profane, unashamed, and wonderfully charismatic. Her natural affinity with the audience gives the character an unaffected authenticity. There is an ease to the performance that disguises the daunting task of being alone on stage for an hour and a quarter. One of a kind, Tracy is also ‘everywoman’ as she unwraps her regrets and throws them onto the pile of spent joys and tribulations like unwanted gifts.

“She has the makings of becoming a seasonal staple”

Conceived in lockdown as part of the Hope@Home series of monologues, writers Matt Ballantyne and Toby Hampton (Hampton also directs) display a sharp insight, but the script is a bit unbalanced. Some yarns are stretched too far while others are left hanging. Alex Forey’s lighting cleverly transports us to past locations in Tracy’s mind while in the here-and-now the set (Hampton, again, with Laurel Marks) evokes the class-defined, London suburban kitchen with precise detail. There is a film maker’s eye at work here, enhancing the realism that Conneff already provides in abundance. Unfortunately, Emily Rose Simons lifelike sound design, that conjures up the rabble next door, doesn’t match the naturalism; which could probably be rectified by a re-jigging of the venue’s sound system.

There are bound to be comparisons to Willy Russell’s ‘Shirley Valentine’, which is no bad thing. Like the eighties’ forerunner, “21 Round for Christmas” (a clumsy title I have to say) has an existential quality, and Conneff skilfully manages to reveal the depth beneath the froth. We are teased in this respect, wanting to know more about Jackie who we learn is lying in a hospital bed at the Royal Marsden. The comedy is dished up loudly and haphazardly, but garnished with intimate detail that almost goes unnoticed. Something in Conneff’s eyes betrays a crisis unfolding. No wonder Tracy ends up hurling the roast potatoes. Her defiance, steeped in humour, has more than a double edge.

We come away feeling like we’ve caught up with an old friend. A bit of a black sheep. Flawed, but somebody we love. In small doses perhaps. For about an hour or so maybe. See you next Christmas, Tracy. We hope we do. She has the makings of becoming a seasonal staple. She can’t please the twenty-one people she has round for Christmas – but she certainly pleases her audience.