SH!T-FACED SHOWTIME: A PISSEDMAS CAROL

Leicester Square Theatre

★★★★

“chaotic and gloriously daft”

If there was a drunk actor on the stage in any other production, it would be an ugly cautionary tale about the perils of fame. But in A Pissedmas Carol, it’s contractually obligated. Sh!t-faced Showtime bring us the classic tale of miserable Scrooge’s redemption forced by paranormal visitors on Christmas Eve, spiced up with the addition of copious amounts of alcohol. It’s just one actor in the cast who gets inebriated, leaving the rest to respond to the chaos and push the drunkard onto his marks, with predictably hilarious results. In our case, it was Ashley Gerlach as Scrooge, who complained about how loud the singing was, squared up to Bob Cratchit and asked where the mandem was when he arrived at his old school.

Written by Lewis Ironside and adapted for the stage by James Murfitt, this production holds firmly to the pillars of Dickens’ tale. The key characters are all here, and chunks of the original script are attempted, with obvious interruptions and digressions from our tipsy player. Lucy Fowler’s costuming is committed to the original era, with the women donning bonnets and the men waistcoats, all of which only serves to make the bumbling Scrooge’s antics and confusion funnier. When he suddenly complains that his Victorian nightgown doesn’t have pockets, it triggers a hilarious argument as others beg him to please just act like there are. The ghost of Jacob Marley is adorned with the expected shackles and chains, but still poked fun at by way of the two poorly disguised actors draped in black whose job it is to wave the chains spookily in the air behind him.

The Victorian story and setting are hit with all the non-negotiable decorations of festive theatre. There’s audience interaction – one attendee has to ring a set of bells if they feel the actor needs another drink, and another gets a sick bucket. There’s bawdy humour and innuendos, but it stays the right side of eye-roll-inducing. And of course, there are copious Christmas songs. It’s all very silly and the atmosphere is generously lively. There are a few lazier parts which rely on pantomime tropes, which just don’t feel necessary when the cast is as charming and competent as they are. The show really can be bothered, so it leaves the drunk actor free to just be funny and curious and incendiary. Even the lighting and Nicola Jones’ set design says: this is a real show with budget! Get drunk with us!

The only reason watching a drunk actor can be this funny though, is if they are propped up by a genuinely talented and quick-witted cast, directed by Katy Baker. There are solid comic performances from Hal Hillman and Daniel Quirke, with Daniel in particular getting huge laughs in solo scenes as Mrs. Fezziwig and the child who picks Scrooge’s turkey. Musical director Charlotte Brooke holds everything down on the piano at the back of the stage, constantly adapting to soundtrack the show as it stumbles about, so that the audience really can just sit back and enjoy the chaos. Vocals are largely led by Issy Wroe Wright and Alice Merivale, who flip from ghostly operatic lullabies to the Wham! crooner with impressive range. The whole debacle is kept in check by a sequin-suited Dickens who acts as a ringmaster when things get really off the rails.

If you’ve never heard of A Christmas Carol, this would be a truly terrible way to introduce yourself to Dickens’ genuinely moving story of redemption and community. But if, like me, you’ve seen a thousand iterations of the story, and can sing all the ensemble parts in the Muppet version, then this might be the only production that holds something new for you. It’s chaotic and gloriously daft – you’ll be laughing about it long after last orders.

SH!T-FACED SHOWTIME: A PISSEDMAS CAROL

Leicester Square Theatre

Reviewed on 11th December 2025

by Jessica Hayes

Photography by Andrew AB Photography

Previously reviewed at this venue:

SH!T-FACED A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM | ★★★★ | July 2024

RACHEL PARRIS: POISE | ★★★★ | June 2024

SH!T-FACED SHOWTIME: A PISSEDMAS CAROL | ★★★★★ | November 2023

THE AYES HAVE IT! THE AYES HAVE IT! | ★★★★ | November 2023

SH!T-FACED SHAKESPEARE®: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING | ★★★★★ | July 2023

SHIT-FACED SHAKESPEARE: ROMEO & JULIET | ★★★★ | July 2022

A PISSEDMAS CAROL | ★★★★★ | December 2021

SH!T-FACED MACBETH | ★★★★★ | July 2021

SH!T-FACED SHOWTIME

★★★

“an honest look at the bruises and bonds that define us”

You can’t choose your family, but how much should you want to? And when should you choose yourself instead (or in spite) of them? Playwright Ela Moss asks these questions in Love Conditions, squashing three frustrated characters into a flat in Archway to unpack everything from their insecurities in commitment to their absent dads.

In the well-worn living room strewn with empty lager cans, Beth and boyfriend Alex bicker about and around Beth’s sister’s imminent arrival. When Kelly finally flounces in with an air of forced glamour (and a leopard print top to change into even though they’re staying inside), the arguments multiply, revelations rear their heads and ugly truths sneak out of clenched jaws.

Moments of carefully judged comic timing puncture the continuous sniping, particularly from Alec Boaden as Zac – his face freezing in befuddlement at another hairpin turn in debate from his unravelling girlfriend (Sophia Decaro). Sarah Andre White’s portrayal of Kelly had us snickering continuously as she strutted between wine bottle and wine glass, attempting to slowly prise back control over her sister, before giving up pretence and wrenching it instead. In one early scene, Beth and Kelly chatter back and forth, flipping jokes into jabs, throwing out cutting remarks and then scrambling to write the most well-versed ones down in the notes app. The unpredictable ping-pong match of sisterhood is vibrant here.

The foundations are solid, but the play is unfortunately uneven in delivery. We get hits of theatrical flair in Harper K. Hefferon’s direction, like Kelly’s arrival. There’s an initial freeze frame lit in red which hits deliciously between ominous and camp, before her lofty and patronising demeanour is firmly established. But in later scenes, it felt a bit like the actors had run out of things to do in the space, becoming boomerangs, picking up and placing down wine bottles before asking for a top-up.

It doesn’t feel like these characters truly have nowhere else to go, which punctures the premise of the play. Mostly, the confrontational dialogue tumbles out smoothly, but as we progress it doesn’t always feel like linear development. Some of Beth’s lines feel like they’ve been elbowed into the script to put a pithy opinion in front of an audience, rather than being true to that character. There are a few specifics lacking which would ground the audience in the truth of the narrative, for example, the age difference between the sisters seems to swing uncertainly between anecdotes and storylines. Willoughby Brow’s design is understated but well-judged, with the set and costumes giving us distinct hints about the finer points of each characters’ status.

In a one-room play where the dynamics are the drama, there’s a fine line between claustrophobic and repetitive. Unfortunately we land a little too close to the latter in this production, but there’s still a solid collection of reflections on family, trauma and what we owe each other. Despite its flaws, this is an honest look at the bruises and bonds that define us.

Tag Archives: Jessica Hayes

SH!T-FACED SHOWTIME: A PISSEDMAS CAROL

★★★★

Leicester Square Theatre

SH!T-FACED SHOWTIME: A PISSEDMAS CAROL

Leicester Square Theatre

★★★★

“chaotic and gloriously daft”