★★★★

“a bumper pack of Christmas crackers – plenty of bangs, groan-worthy jokes, gimmicks and a squeaky toy”

In Scrooge-like fashion, the gremlins struck the press night of Nick Mohammed’s madcap festive spectacular causing the performance to be curtailed. They struck again on this second attempt, with technical difficulties interrupting the final act.

Such is the nature of A Christmas Carol(ish), starring Nick Mohammed’s gremlin-esque alter-ego Mr Swallow, that many of the audience thought the interregnum was part of the production’s nod-and-wink playfulness. The whole thing is a teetering calamity with sufficient nods to the perils of live entertainment to make an appearance by the stage crew almost inevitable.

The downtime was short-lived and towards the climax. By then the four-strong cast had garnered enough goodwill and provoked enough merriment to ensure most stayed around to see the story out.

Just as well, because still to come was Mohammed’s wire walk to retrieve a special parcel lodged in the roof at @Sohoplace. A real nail biter. You underestimate multi-talented Mr Mohammed at your peril.

This is Mohammed’s show – writer, lyricist, star – and it’s been upscaled from earlier incarnations with extra razzle and indeed dazzle. Helpfully, he introduces himself for those unfamiliar with his nasally high-pitched irritant character Mr Swallow, based on a real-life English teacher blended with a hint of Mr Bean.

The plot, such as it is, is modelled on the Dickensian classic with Scrooge replaced by Santa. But don’t attempt to follow the original text too closely – it’s a gumbo pot of festive treats. God appears (voice only) and the nativity story also gets a look-in with a faintly alarming but very funny replay of the birth of Jesus with Mr Swallow as a scouse midwife. Look away now kids.

In director Matt Peover’s song-speckled staging, Mohammed is ably and gamely supported by diva Rochelle (Ghosts’ Martha Howe-Douglas) who is doing them all a favour between Lloyd-Webber gigs; put-upon impresario Mr Goldsworth (David Elms); and ratty orphan Rudolph (Kieran Hodgson). They’re all playing roles in Mr Goldsworth’s production with overconfident and under rehearsed Mr Swallow the rogue element. You can understand why technical difficulties are the least of the production’s concerns.

Special mention for the set (Fly Davis) which appears like a Victorian Amazon warehouse, with boxes to the ceiling, but becomes, at various points, a glowing cityscape with candlelit windows, an advent calendar for character vignettes and, of course, a climbing wall for Mr Swallow’s high stakes scramble.

The reference that springs to mind is – admirably – one of those classic Morecambe and Wise plays “what Ernie wrote” with endless mugging, undercutting, quick fire gags and bags of whimsy. Quick-witted and winning Mohammed is at the centre of it all. He brings his impish charms to what has evolved into an ambitious and glittery production that delivers more often than not.

It’s a bumper pack of Christmas crackers – plenty of bangs, groan-worthy jokes, gimmicks and a squeaky toy. Mishappy Christmas, Mr Swallow.

THE GLASS MENAGERIE at Alexandra Palace Theatre

★★★★

“haunting and dynamic”

Against the backdrop of arrested decay in the Alexandra Palace theatre blares a rotating neon sign reading “PARADISE”. The shiny circular stage is decorated around the edges with the eponymous glass menagerie and later with added candles and flowers (Rosanna Vize). As the scenes progress the sign turns like a clock hand; the threat of lost time looming over the characters. Tennessee William’s memory play is set in the 1930s, in this production, the cast adopt modern costumes and props to illuminating effect as the family drama is grounded in a more recent era. The scenes are underscored with eery instrumentals (Giles Thomas) and characters make use of two microphones on stands to emphasis the overwhelming nature of their conversations as the family suffocate each other with words. Echoing the turn of the sign, the company move around cyclically (movement Anthony Missen) winding on and off the stage as they orbit each other. With every entrance and exit comes the risk of breaking a glass animal, implying the precarious circumstances of the family.

The Wingfield family consist of a resentful writer and narrator Tom (Kasper Hilton-Hille), his histrionic mother Amanda (Geraldine Somerville) and anxiety-ridden sister Laura (Natalie Kimmerling). The play follows the family navigating financial strain, familial roles and desperation to secure stability in their lives. Amanda places her hope in the prospect of getting Laura married after she drops out of a business course due to her anxiety. Tom loses himself by writing poems and going to the movies and argues with his mother over money and craving independence. Jim O’Conner (Zacchaeus Kayode) joins the play more in Act Two as a colleague of Tom and former high school crush of Laura.

Somerville depicts Amanda with a multi-layered performance with humour and dignity, never adopting a shrill tone or overly manic demeanour. She is berating and materialistic, but cares deeply for Laura and Tom and attempts to pre-empt and solve problems. She is overbearing but also earnestly helps Laura pursue independence and happiness. She worries reasonably about Tom’s nightly escapes but ultimately has outbursts that alienate her children. Kimmerling presents Laura as a kind ostracised young woman, dogged by onsets of panic and insecurity. Her journey shows her sociable abilities and emotional intelligence, as well as her fragility and internal torment. Her performance is beautifully moving and the relationship between the siblings is touching. Watching her get so close to happiness but not quite achieve it is sad, but what makes the story tragic is her inability to emotionally recover from the setbacks in her life. Hilton-Hille captures Tom’s adolescent frustration and solemn reflection as he recounts his life. The growing conflict with his mother are balanced with his concern for Laura. In Act Two Kayode portrays the perfect man in Jim; empathic and charismatic, but also nostalgic and pathologising. He finds Laura intriguing and intelligent, but flawed. He offers her advice and ruminates on resilience; “everybody’s got problems”. Director Atri Banerjee bring outs the fun and joy of their would-be romance with dancing and music, leaving the audience wanting Laura to believe in love and more.

The family dynamic is captured through movement as they weave around the glowing “PARADISE” focal point above accompanied by dramatic backlights and dimly lit candles (Lee Curran). The drama’s intensity is heightened by the large performance space, creating a sense of loneliness and magnitude, with characters entering and exiting into the upstage void. The direction is slick, focusing on the intention of the conversations rather than fixating on the setting. This production of Glass Menagerie is haunting and dynamic, with each turn of the fluorescent sign pushing the family to the brink.

Tag Archives: Giles Thomas

A CHRISTMAS CAROL(ISH)

★★★★

@Sohoplace

A CHRISTMAS CAROL(ISH) at @Sohoplace

★★★★

“a bumper pack of Christmas crackers – plenty of bangs, groan-worthy jokes, gimmicks and a squeaky toy”

A CHRISTMAS CAROL(ISH) at @Sohoplace

Reviewed on 26th November 2024

by Giles Broadbent

Photography by Matt Crockett

Previously reviewed at this venue:

DEATH OF ENGLAND: CLOSING TIME | ★★★★ | August 2024

DEATH OF ENGLAND: DELROY | ★★★★★ | July 2024

DEATH OF ENGLAND: MICHAEL | ★★★★★ | July 2024

THE LITTLE BIG THINGS | ★★★★ | September 2023

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN | ★★★★★ | May 2023

A CHRISTMAS CAROL(ISH)

A CHRISTMAS CAROL(ISH)

Click here to see our Recommended Shows page

THE GLASS MENAGERIE

★★★★

Alexandra Palace Theatre

THE GLASS MENAGERIE at Alexandra Palace Theatre

★★★★

“haunting and dynamic”