Tag Archives: Rah Petherbridge

A Pissedmas Carol

★★★★★

Leicester Square Theatre

A PISSEDMAS CAROL at Leicester Square Theatre

★★★★★

“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.


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

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Shit-Faced Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet

★★★★

Leicester Square Theatre

Sh*t-Faced Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet

Leicester Square Theatre

Reviewed – 14th July 2022

★★★★

 

“They know their business, and they know their audiences, well”

 

If you saunter along to the Leicester Square Theatre expecting traditional Shakespeare, you are in for a rude—a very rude—surprise. This ain’t your father’s Shakespeare. Oddly enough it is the kind of Shakespeare the Bard himself might enjoy. Enjoy—if he’d gone on a mad pub crawl beforehand, and decided to stop by the theatre to see the latest production of Romeo and Juliet. If well fortified beforehand, he’d enjoy the show—and probably not notice how the cast have changed the ending. And quite a few other things. But then, good times, fuelled with lots of alcohol, are what Sh*t-faced Shakespeare are all about. They know their business, and they know their audiences, well.

Sh*t-faced Shakespeare’s brand of Shakespeare (touring since 2010) “seeks to introduce a new generation of theatregoers to the works of the Bard by reviving the raucous, interactive and vibrant nature of Elizabethan theatre with a very modern twist.” This is one of the most accurate descriptions of a show I’ve ever seen in press materials put out by a company, and they win my admiration for that. It’s great to see such a young crowd turn out for Shakespeare in a comedy club setting. Veterans of the Sh*t-faced approach will know in advance the set up. To summarize: one of the company comes on stage as MC to announce that another member of the company has been chosen to be the drunk for the evening’s performance. Drinking heavily for several hours before the show, this performer will also be expected to drink more every time a bell or gong is struck by a member of audience. While performing Shakespeare.

On this particular evening, it was Juliet’s turn to take one for the team. But there’s not just drinking and slapstick involved here. There’s audience participation that involves acting as well. Short of a County Paris for this performance of Romeo and Juliet, a good sport sporting a “Slayer” tee shirt was selected to play the part of Juliet’s father-approved fiancé. Very appropriate. Out of this formula the cast of Sh*t-faced Shakespeare proceeds to build an entertainment that pays no attention to the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. They just focus on the comedy instead. You didn’t know Romeo and Juliet was a comedy?

Seriously, kudos to the cast. David Ellis, Louise Lee, Jessica Brindle, Richard Hughes, Christopher Lane, John Mitton, Lucy Farrar and Stacey Norris are all seasoned soldiers of the Sh*t-faced scene, which includes knowing just how badly to mess up the best known speeches while maintaining eye contact with the audience most of the time. Amazingly enough, no one got hurt as the evening (and the drinking) progressed. These actors are tough, and experienced. It’s also impossible to know whether they have been drinking, which speaks well of their classical training. The programme reassuringly points out that company members are never expected to drink on consecutive nights, or more than four times a month. They consider themselves to be more temperate drinkers than the average West End actor.

In short, if you feel your friends need a bit more culture, and fewer nights at the pub, take them to a Sh*t-faced Shakespeare show. They will have a good time, and might not even notice that they are no longer at their local. And rest assured that the “real” Shakespeare’s reputation will survive, despite the “rough magic” dealt out by Sh*t-faced Shakespeare.

 

Reviewed by Dominica Plummer

Photography by Rah Petherbridge

 


Shit-Faced Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet

Leicester Square Theatre

 

Previous Shit-Faced shows at this venue:
Sh!t-Faced Macbeth | ★★★★★ | July 2021
A Pissedmas Carol | ★★★★★ | December 2021

 

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