A CHRISTMAS CAROL(ISH) at @Sohoplace

★★★★

“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.

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)

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★★★★

“a welcomingly confrontational and awkward evening of stand-up with a bit of something for everyone”

On the biggest night of her new tour, Maisie Adam presents a raucous night of heckling the audience right back, and journeying through the humour in everything, from coil “re-fittings”, awful gameshow appearances, and the class politics of wild water swimming in Brighton.

A rising TV favourite, Adam is a talented comedian who is hell-bent on providing both an “accurate” and “detailed” set (if she has learnt anything from mishearing previous hook-ups or gigging in Sweden). Appraisal takes the audience through a review of Adam’s current life, career, and relationship statuses, with punchlines that keep the crowd on side from start to finish. We are treated to a review of Adam’s state of being in comedy – with a closing segment dissecting the age-old question of what it’s like to be a woman in comedy. Adam’s reckons it’s much like being any other woman, performing odd rituals and actions to keep safe on a walk home, and syncing periods with the closest women around you (in this case, Adam’s front row at the Tyne Theatre and Opera House). Although this section of the set feels a bit out of nowhere, it did well to keep the laughs rolling through the audience.

The first act features Adam’s skilful crowd work, warming everyone up to what is essentially a slagging off with an audience. Be warned not to sit in the box at any future tour dates at beautiful proscenium-arched venues, you may be unwillingly entered into a “who is posher” contest, and it will, in fact, be hilarious for everyone involved, but you. It is a true joy to watch Adam’s improvised crowd-work in action, as she turns vague responses into weapons against punters before they can whoop overenthusiastically for the name of the city they travelled to Newcastle from. Adam’s is brilliant at rolling with the oddities of her audience and playing to the strangeness of their behaviour and responses. A particular shoutout must go to the gentleman in the front-row who very obviously legged it at the first brief mention that there might be an interval coming up. Adam’s dealt with him with a hilarious level of disbelief and we relished in the “fair enough” attitude the brilliantly timed awkward moment produced.

After the interval, Adam’s gives herself some feedback (good and bad) on how her life is going, along with astute and hilarious observations on the absurdity of being in your late twenties/early thirties and being surrounded by your oddly grown-up school friends who are still kids at heart, along with your parents who desperately need a quick word on their peculiar use of emojis. We are also treated to a very funny whistle stop tour of Adam’s treacherous gameshow features and cameos, from being a contestant on The Chase, to claiming an embarrassing level of obscurity on Pointless, as an answer.

For the most part, Adam’s lands blow after blow of hilarious self-deprecating jokes, and creates an atmosphere that will have everyone grinning from ear to ear (whether you are a middle-aged dad with a flip-phone case or one of Adam’s many younger lesbian fans). Maisie Adam’s: Appraisal is a welcomingly confrontational and awkward evening of stand-up with a bit of something for everyone. This show deserves all the praise it gets.

Tag Archives: Matt Crockett

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”