MOG’S CHRISTMAS

Royal and Derngate Theatre

★★★★★

“this enchanting production is a festive treat not to be missed”

Step into ‘Mog’s Christmas’, a charming, beautifully staged adaptation of Judith Kerr’s beloved books. With its inventive direction, energetic performances and festive spirit, this production is a true Christmas delight for the whole family.

It’s been a busy year for Mog and the Thomases. They remember how her forgetful antics saved the day in spring, and a summer mishap led to a chaotic trip to the V-E-T. Now, amid the hustle and bustle of the festive season, Mog finds herself making a break for the calm of the roof (!). Can the Thomases coax her back in time for Christmas?

The Wardrobe Ensemble’s adaptation blends ‘Mog the Forgetful Cat’, ‘Mog and the V.E.T.’ and ‘Mog’s Christmas’ into a year of antics. It stays largely true to Kerr’s prose while adding playful asides, music, dance and vibrant staging to bring the beloved books to life.

Helena Middleton’s direction channels Kerr’s gentle humour and warmth, lifting the stories off the page with wit and heart – from Mrs Thomas’ pea aria to her polite offer of tea to a burglar. The staging deftly unites three tales within the Thomas home, with inventive set changes marking new spaces and the passage of time. Portraying Mog with an actor (Faye Lord) perfectly embodies feline idiosyncrasies, communicating entirely through physicality and meows. Performances are lively enough to keep children enthralled yet nuanced enough to engage adults, with standout comic highlights including Mog’s expressive reactions and the cry dancing finale.

Composer Joey Hickman, with contributions from David Ridley and onstage musical direction by Daniella Agredo Piper, crafts a rich and varied soundscape that carries us through the seasons of Mog’s life. From plonky comic interludes to sweeping, grandiose passages, the score deepens the emotion of every scene. Songs add character and cheerfully portray key beats from Kerr’s books. The only number that feels slightly overlong is ‘Bother Mog’ – though as a cat owner, I’m biased against the gleeful smear campaign (justice for Mog!).

Catriona Giles’ movement direction is slick and well choreographed. Buoyant dancing appeals to children while capturing Kerr’s sweetness. Scene transitions are impressively tight and dynamic. A standout moment is the V.E.T. sequence, where simple yet inventive movement transforms a static waiting room into a burst of comic fun.

Laura McEwen’s set and costume design shifts effortlessly through moods, spaces, and seasons. The geometric, stripe tinged set evokes Kerr’s pencil illustrations, while the colourful costumes bring a quintessentially British spirit. Lucía Sánchez Roldán’s lighting design is artful and dynamic, using subtle shifts in tone and focus to mask set changes and define contrasting spaces. The Christmas lights encircling the auditorium is a delightful touch. Beth Duke’s sound design brilliantly mirrors the chaos of a forgetful cat, with a slickly handled effects desk amplifying the comedy. Mog’s yowls are perfectly balanced within a cohesive mix that ties the production together.

Faye Lord adorably embodies Mog, stealing our hearts with charming physicality and expressiveness. Tom England proves a versatile and engaging narrator across multiple roles, bringing energy, charisma, and strong vocals. Heather Porte’s Mrs Thomas shines with a beautiful soprano voice and quirky expressiveness, especially in the frantic V.E.T. dash. Ben Vardy’s Mr Thomas is grounded yet cheeky, while Aimee Louise Bevan’s Debbie and Jesse Meadows’ Nicky bring an endearing playfulness. The ensemble is rounded out by Daniella Agredo Piper, impressively juggling music, acting, and puppetry.

Mog has captured the hearts of generations of children, and ‘Mog’s Christmas’ does her story proud. Tenderly adapted and beautifully staged, this enchanting production is a festive treat not to be missed.

MOG’S CHRISTMAS

Royal and Derngate Theatre

Reviewed on 10TH December 2025

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Manuel Harlan

Previously reviewed at this venue:

TAMBO & BONES | ★★★ | March 2025

MOBY DICK | ★★★★★ | April 2024

THE FROGS | ★★½ | January 2024

2:22 A GHOST STORY | ★★★ | January 2024

MOG’S CHRISTMAS

★★★

“There is much to admire, and the ideas are inspired”

The unnerving and overpowering effect of George Orwell’s novella, “Animal Farm” is how little has changed less than a century on from its publication in 1945. His biting political allegory was an unveiled attack on totalitarianism, more specifically Stalinism. We don’t need to look at history to wonder what Orwell would make of today’s leading political figures, nor do we need to rely on the Soviet-style, Communist regimes to appreciate the inspiration behind his writing. The popular graffiti slogan often seen on urban walls – ‘George Orwell was an optimist’ – is resonant today, and Ian Wooldridge’s current stage adaptation allies itself to that point of view.

Remaining faithful to the original it promises to pack a punch as we enter the grim, nightmare scenario. Metallic music throbs while surveillance cameras, perched on the vandalised, corrugated backdrop, watch us take our seats. Elements of sci-fi drift in as the harsh percussion gives way to hymnal, synthetic strings of a ‘brave-new-dawn’. A temporary reprieve, however, as those familiar with Orwell’s writing will know. Director Iqbal Khan’s production shares that sense of frustrated potential. There is much to admire, and the ideas are inspired. Ciarán Bagnall’s brutal set is more knacker’s yard than farm and the skeletal, lattice framed masks of the animals have a suitably dystopian quality. It is a shame though to spoil the effect with unnecessary gestures and playground animal noises.

Individual characterisation suffers, too, from an overreliance on provincial accents to distinguish the roles. Yet the performers are given plenty to get their teeth into and the commitment is unyielding, but it feels like they have been pushed too hard in one direction. Too many lines are shouted and even the quieter, reflective moments are over projected, as though the audience are either hard of hearing or primary school kids. Natalia Campbell’s ‘Old Major’ delivers a strong opening address that sets the scene, although the Queen Vic Cockney accent dampens the gravity. We expect a pub brawl rather than a revolution. ‘Napolean’, the chief pig whose tyranny replaces the tyranny that has been overthrown, is more precocious teenager than despot in Rhian Lynch’s hands. With Lewis Griffin’s streetwise ‘Squealer’ they rule the new regime with fake news, propaganda and an over-zealous trend of silencing dissidents. A chillingly familiar scenario. Soroosh Lavasani gives a more nuanced ‘Snowball’, the downtrodden rival to ‘Napoleon’, while Sam Black’s ‘Boxer’ – the silently-strong yet naively loyal work-horse – beckons our sympathy.

The nuances and the resonances are all in the writing. The execution, however, misses tricks and opportunities and a lot of the time we feel like we are being delivered a lecture. The setting, enhanced by Dylan Townley’s thrilling music and Gerry Marsden’s atmospheric sound design, promises the ‘fairy story’ that Orwell himself dubbed the novella. Quite why it should be considered a fairytale is open to debate, but a fable it definitely is. Khan’s production does indeed get all the points across, and we are given a stern warning about the recycling of history. Aesthetically it reproduces the story perfectly. The excessive exposition, however, obscures the general concept behind this production: a show that is plainly full of striking and thought-provoking ideas.

Tag Archives: Heather Porte

MOG’S CHRISTMAS

★★★★★

Royal and Derngate Theatre

MOG’S CHRISTMAS

Royal and Derngate Theatre

★★★★★

“this enchanting production is a festive treat not to be missed”