★★★

“pushes the boundaries, defies expectations and refuses to conform”

Award winning drag artist, Wet Mess, closes the 2025 tour of their first full length solo show, ‘TESTO’, in London. Dismantling the boundaries of gender, transition, performance and more, this surrealist fever dream is as cocky as it is vulnerable. Self-described as “horny for your confusion”, the abstraction and pacing do lose me in places. However, the work remains provocative, inventive and daringly experimental – the kind of theatre we need more of.

Out of a green haze, the words ‘tell us about a dream’ glow red before taking us on an erotic journey involving butter that sets the tone for the evening. ‘TESTO’ explores transmasculinity in a dreamlike structure, weaving searching questions and real life interviews with movement and lip syncs. Themes surface in waves, some provocative, some reflective, others more ordinary. Only it’s not a dream.

Created by Wet Mess and produced by Metal & Water (Nancy May Roberts & Lucia Fortune Ely), ‘TESTO’ is anarchic and affecting. Beneath the swagger and spectacle lies a yearning to be seen, with all the contradictions and mixed emotions visibility entails. The closing sequence cycles the words ‘you are afraid but awake,’ anchoring the surreal in stark reality. Wet Mess also fulfils one interviewee’s wish to be mundane by fashioning a sofa from all that’s been discarded and cracking a beer. That said, it isn’t always layered, such as the giant gender sausages and defiant nude lip sync of Loreen’s ‘Euphoria’. Some of the more surreal sections elude me entirely – I’m looking at you butter bath. The pacing also falters: most sections linger a beat too long and a couple of passages seem to run out of development, creating gaps in momentum.

Wet Mess’ movement is an almost continuous thread, marked by strong shapes, intriguing lines and bursts of frenetic energy. However, it feels surprisingly restrained in places. The surreal butter dream, for instance, doesn’t lead into a dynamic grand entrance but some slightly anticlimactic swaggering. The sequence of jerking and humping risks becoming repetitive after a while. Though perhaps this is a deliberate subversion of expectations.

Wet Mess delivers an arresting performance, brimming with cockiness yet tempered by rawness and vulnerability. It is an assured, literally bare all display marked by precise lip syncs, strong movement and polished delivery. The lip syncing itself is cleverly varied, avoiding predictability, with controversial recordings sharpening the piece’s edge.

Ruta Irbīte’s set design is striking: a vulva like red curtain gives way to a phallic catwalk. Oversized sausages playfully suggest symbols of gender identity.

Baby’s evocative sound design weaves voices, vocalisations, synth and textured noise into a distinctive soundscape that shapes the atmosphere of each section and underscores the deeper messages.

Joshie Harriette’s lighting design conjures dreamlike illusions through deft combinations of smoke and light. Inventive spotlight positioning creates striking contrasts between light and shadow, while bursts of flashing intensify key moments.

Lambdog1066’s costume design is artful and layered, opening with a high fashion boxing cape – reclaiming a traditionally masculine symbol – and closing with a curtain repurposed as a robe – underscoring the interplay between spectacle and intimacy. Ultimately, the stripping away of all clothing functions as a powerful rejection of gender conformity.

‘TESTO’ pushes the boundaries, defies expectations and refuses to conform. But does it work as a cohesive show? I’m less sure. Still, that uncertainty doesn’t diminish its impact and the spectacle is worth witnessing, even if we never get to the bottom of the butter.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Alexandra Palace

★★★★

“This polished, paranormal staging rattles its chains as effectively as it warms the heart”

Christmas hasn’t always been twinkling lights and cosy fires – in Dickens’ time, ghost stories helped pass the long winter nights, a tradition cemented by ‘A Christmas Carol’. Mark Gatiss’ stage adaptation, ‘A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story’, leans into this seasonal spookiness, casting a chilling shadow across the festive favourite. Catch this show’s third run at the fittingly haunting Alexandra Palace if you fancy something darker this Christmas.

Scrooge and Marley revel in another year of ruthless debt collecting – until Marley drops dead. Fast forward seven years and Scrooge remains a miser with no care for people’s suffering. One fateful Christmas Eve, a night of supernatural encounters confronts him with the cost of his choices. Can he atone and will his redemption endure?

Gatiss’ adaptation honours Dickens’ legacy, faithfully preserving the original plot and prose while artfully reimagining it for theatre. Its more traditional feel is sharpened by the darker edge of ghostly encounters, with some playful asides adding wit and dimension to Scrooge. The conclusion stays true to Dickens, yet a satisfying twist underscores the permanence of Scrooge’s transformation and makes his ordeal all the more meaningful.

Director Adam Penford keeps the audience on edge, sustaining a haunting energy with slick stagecraft and well timed jump scares softened by moments of wit and affection. Towering, oppressive set pieces dominate with meticulous blocking ensuring clarity throughout. Smart use of the stage apron adds dynamism in the large space, and video projections cleverly augment the set.

Georgina Lamb’s movement direction injects bursts of merriment, with choreographed sequences adding welcome dynamism between darker passages. These moments not only heighten contrast but soften the focus on Scrooge, giving the production greater texture and variety.

Tingying Dong’s score demonstrates effortless range, shifting from deliciously eerie moments to bursts of Christmas cheer. The choral section is a particularly effective touch, bringing Scrooge into the fold.

Paul Wills’ impressive design brims with symbolism. Towering filing cabinets echo Scrooge’s isolation while his elevated desk reflects self perceived superiority. The stark bleakness of Scrooge’s office and Victorian streets are sharp contrast to the warmth of the Christmas scenes, creating a visual journey that underscores the character’s transformation. John Bulleid’s illusion design delivers clever sleight of hand and well timed jump scares, conjuring a genuinely haunted atmosphere. Philip Gladwell’s inventive lighting design dazzles, blending an array of effects to bring maximum drama. Ella Wahlström’s sound design perfectly captures a freezing Victorian Christmas, seamlessly layering whipping wind, clanging clocks and spectral sounds. Nina Dunn’s video design evokes the texture of real life London. Matthew Forbes’s puppet design extends the otherworldly feel but could benefit from deeper integration. The dog is undeniably charming despite its curious lack of hindlegs, while the ghost children are truly creepy.

This strong cast features famous faces. Neil Morrissey brings a lighter touch to Marley, sputtering comically to death before returning with a far more haunting presence. Matthew Cottle shines as Scrooge, capturing the frosty miser while subtly suggesting the man beneath. His performance blossoms into a more nuanced portrayal of redemption, avoiding the pitfall of manic exaggeration. The ensemble handles their multi roling with skill, shifting accents and characterisations with ease. The slightly echoey acoustics demand clearer diction at times, especially when employing accents.

‘A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story’ offers a darker take on the Christmas classic. This polished, paranormal staging rattles its chains as effectively as it warms the heart, making the trip to Alexandra Palace well worth the journey.

TESTO

Purcell Room

★★★

“pushes the boundaries, defies expectations and refuses to conform”

TESTO

Purcell Room

Reviewed on 28th November 2025

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Lesley Martin

Previously reviewed at Southbank Centre venues:

TESTO

TESTO

TESTO

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Alexandra Palace

★★★★

“This polished, paranormal staging rattles its chains as effectively as it warms the heart”