★★★★★

“a rollicking good time”

There’s nothing better to get you in the Christmas mood than a smashed Ebenezer Scrooge slurring his way through some festive pop songs while ranting about free range chicken eggs.

‘A Pissedmas Carol’ is a retelling of A Christmas Carol, stuffed full of songs, improv and panto style gags. On top of that, each night one of the actors is riotously drunk. Cue hilarious and chaotic fun, in a very merry way. There are even mince pies at the bar!

This show is a rollicking good time. Rather than its non-holiday themed Shakespearean counterparts, this production allows more space for all of the actors to have a laugh. The energy doesn’t drop when the drunk actor is off stage, because there’s scripted and improvised silliness to be had by all.

James Murfitt and Lewis Ironside’s adaptation of the Dickens classic keeps some of the original text, some iconic lines (possibly more if all of the actors were sober) but injects some ridiculous fun into it. The key moments are there, but the play never stops for long enough to get too bogged down in the plot or characters. Katy Baker’s directing, as well as strong improvising from the cast, keep the energy soaring throughout.

There are a cast of eight, with ten in the troupe, so the rotating roles, and rotating drunkenness, can be shared around. The whole cast were really strong, all having their own moments to shine. Hal Hillman and Katy Baker are charming and hilarious as the Cratchits, James Murfitt is an excellent MC, Daniel Quirke is a bit of a scene stealer as the Ghost of Christmas present, and Izzy Wroe Wright proves to have an incredible set of pipes as she belts out some classic Christmas bops. John Mitton as Scrooge was hilarious, and very drunk.

Having Charlotte Brooke as an on-stage pianist brings the whole performance together, making it feel like a cohesive musical, and I think is a big reason the energy stays so high. Nicola Jones’ set is playful and crucially safe for drunk actors. Jess Davies’ lighting also plays with the gothic drama, but in a camp, fun way.

The show is a laugh, and highly worth a visit. It’s short and sweet and it’s great to see that the actors are having as much fun as the audience.

SH!T-FACED SHAKESPEARE: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at the Leicester Square Theatre

★★★★★

“It is utterly chaotic, but that’s the glory of it”

A staple of the Edinburgh fringe, the premise of Sh!t-faced Shakespeare is simple: it’s a traditional Shakespeare performance (with liberties taken for comic purposes, of course) where one performer is, for want of a better word, sh*t-faced. That performer rotates every night, as do the cast, and the roles. No two performances will ever be the same…

Don’t go to this if you’re expecting a genuine production of Much Ado, it’s more like a crazed improvised performance, with chunks of Shakespeare loosely hanging it together.

Luckily, the sober performers are also packing in the gags and the quick improv. There is a risk with the concept that when the drunk performer isn’t on stage, the audience is left merely watching a Shakespeare play, and maybe not a great performance of it. However, this is not the case with this troupe – a running bit about Benedick having chlamydia, quick one-liners about choir boys and priests, dragging an audience member into the fray – this cast (and director Stacey Norris) know what they’re doing and do it well.

It is utterly chaotic, but that’s the glory of it. When things go wrong (and they do, often) it is part of the fun. Mics cut out, parts of the set (designed by Nicola Jones) are thrown from the stage, costumes fall apart, it all makes it more ridiculous, and more joyous.

A crucial role is played by the compare, for us it was Beth-Louise Priestley, who is on hand to keep the show ticking over, much to the horror of the drunk performer (Flora Sowerby) who seems mostly to want to monologue about the beauty of beards. Priestley runs around, mopping up spills, gathering Sowerby back from the audience, where she’s escaped, and blowing an air horn when things get too messy. There are times when this isn’t enough, and the chaos takes over, people talking over one another and all aiming to grab the spotlight. Most of the time though, it works well. Very well.

Sowerby shines as a drunk Beatrice, but the rest of the cast are also very strong. Holly Durkin and Matthew Seager make a very sweet Hero and Claudio, and Chris Lane is a deliciously evil Don John. John Mitton is a particularly quick Benedick, who manages to keep character, even while delivering witty one-liners. Stacey Norris delights as Leonata, bringing a real joy and feminist flavour to a usually boring part.

7pm is quite early for this sort of show, it feels like it could’ve been in a later slot, but no one seems to mind and the roars from the audience demonstrate that even on a Wednesday at 7pm, people are very up for this.

Tag Archives: Leicester Square Theatre

A Pissedmas Carol

★★★★★

Leicester Square Theatre

A PISSEDMAS CAROL at Leicester Square Theatre

★★★★★

“a rollicking good time”

A PISSEDMAS CAROL at Leicester Square Theatre

Reviewed on 30th November 2023

by Auriol Reddaway

Photography by Rah Petherbridge (from previous production)

Previously reviewed at this venue:

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

A Pissedmas Carol

A Pissedmas Carol

Click here to see our Recommended Shows page

Sh!t-faced Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing

★★★★★

Leicester Square Theatre

SH!T-FACED SHAKESPEARE: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at the Leicester Square Theatre

★★★★★

“It is utterly chaotic, but that’s the glory of it”

Don’t go to this if you’re expecting a genuine production of Much Ado, it’s more like a crazed improvised performance, with chunks of Shakespeare loosely hanging it together.

It is utterly chaotic, but that’s the glory of it. When things go wrong (and they do, often) it is part of the fun. Mics cut out, parts of the set (designed by Nicola Jones) are thrown from the stage, costumes fall apart, it all makes it more ridiculous, and more joyous.

7pm is quite early for this sort of show, it feels like it could’ve been in a later slot, but no one seems to mind and the roars from the audience demonstrate that even on a Wednesday at 7pm, people are very up for this.

Reviewed on 12th July 2023

by Auriol Reddaway

Photography by AB Photography

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Shit-Faced Shakespeare: Romeo & Juliet | ★★★★ | July 2022

A Pissedmas Carol | ★★★★★ | December 2021

Sh!t-Faced Macbeth | ★★★★★ | July 2021

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