Tag Archives: Matt Peover

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”

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)

A CHRISTMAS CAROL(ISH)

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Good Girl – 4 Stars

Girl

Good Girl

Trafalgar Studios

Reviewed – 6th March 2018

★★★★

“Sheldon’s energetic storytelling is highlighted in her perfect comic timing”

 

After a run at both The Vaults Festival and Edinburgh Fringe, Naomi Sheldon’s show Good Girl arrives at Trafalgar Studios in time for International Women’s Day (Thursday 8th March) with a performance that explores the formative years of a young teenage girl in the 90s, through to her thirty-year-old self in the present.

From start to finish the show is an exquisite cocktail of hilarity, tragedy and honesty delivered with a lot of punch from an incredibly engaging Sheldon. It is in many ways, a celebration of how heavily young women are influenced by other women frequently present in their lives. Good Girl reflects back to a time pre-smartphone where most of your coming of age knowledge came mainly from your mates, magazines and TV. It shows, upon reflection, how much influence your girlfriends have on you whilst you battle through the minefield of puberty and beyond.

Good Girl cleverly explores the feminine journey of growing up through celebrating, often the smallest, examples of 90s pop culture and simultaneously using relatable anecdotes to delve deeper into the problems one may encounter along the way. The success of the show truly lies in the ability to maintain and build the bond between the audience and Sheldon’s character “GG” with seemingly average memories that are revealed later to carry a darker sentiment than originally anticipated. Each scene is introduced with recognisable intros or riffs which not only maintain the incredible energy throughout the performance, but also highlight the ways in which you rely on music as a teenager as a soundtrack of your struggles and triumphs. This, in combination with the majority of the pop culture references, never once acted as a crutch for the story but more as a warm invitation into GG’s story and to serve as a reminder for how universal many parts of her journey are.

Sheldon’s energetic storytelling is highlighted in her perfect comic timing as well as her skilled demonstration of mime. Although Good Girl deals with a handful of difficult subject matters, it is always presented through a lens of innocence and humour. It is this combination that will encourage seemingly forgotten memories from your teenage years to seep back into your conscience and perhaps allow for a moment of reflection on the ways in which it attributes to the person you are today.

 

Reviewed by Claire Minnitt

Photography by Felicity Crawshaw

 


Good Girl

Trafalgar Studios until 31st March

 

 

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