If you have seen A Christmas Carol before, you will definitely find something new and fun in this production… and a chance to laugh and poke fun at a very drunk Scrooge!
Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a story that has been done to death; however, Director Katy Barker brings fun and fresh new ideas to the Sh!tfaced Showtime production. The signature of this company is that one of the cast members is heavily inebriated before, during, and (likely still) after the show—very Dickensian in itself! It should be noted that the cast rotates getting drunk to ensure they do not play the inebriated actor more than four times a month.
Using puppetry, projections, simple set pieces, and costumes (credits to Nicola Jones and Lucy Fowler, respectively), the production creates a great playground for the cast and audience to prod, poke, and laugh at the pissed-up actor playing Scrooge (played by Ashley Gerlach).
Gerlach’s portrayal of Scrooge is exactly what you would expect after drinking half a bottle of gin: hitting the right comedic beats whilst clearly not knowing exactly what to do, allowing the cast to just take him on the ride. While the chaos of his performance is delightful, it would be nice to see him actually try to be the character on a few more occasions rather than completely forgetting he is in one. Nonetheless, Gerlach is undeniably entertaining throughout, creating a job very well done—for someone very pissed!
This does not overshadow the rest of the cast; it is great to see them improvising with him, mainly through necessity for the plot. Dan Quirke stands out playing multiple roles, including the Ghost of Christmas Present and Mrs. Fezziwig. Both are very different roles but equally camp, over-the-top, and somewhat Dame-ish and Buttons-esque. Quirke shines most whilst refusing to laugh at Scrooge’s drunkenness, which makes each scene they are in together all the more hilarious—making them a wondrous duo.
Multi-role cast members Alice Merivale and Issy Wroe Wright are also splendid to watch, keeping the energy up as well as showing what brilliant singers they are in unexpected musical numbers led by Musical Director Charlotte Brooke. Hal Hillman endures a lot of abuse from Scrooge throughout the show and rolls along with the chaos very well.
While most of the improvisation is excellent, some parts of the show seem clearly contrived in the rehearsal room but are presented as ‘off-the-cuff,’ which takes away slightly from the spontaneity of the evening. However, this is a minor critique categorised under ‘splitting hairs.’ The audience does not seem to notice, as there are continuous fits of laughter throughout the evening.
For those wanting a fun night out with none of the usual tricks expected from a Christmas show, A Pissedmas Carol guarantees a good night. With a talented and dedicated cast and crew, this show is great value for money.
It runs until 4 January. Tickets: here.
Review: Anthea Arpad