A PISSEDMAS CAROL

A review by Chloe Spacey

Are you getting a bit bored of the traditional Christmas theatre shows? Or looking for an alternative to your work Christmas party that isn’t sat in a pub again? Then Sh!t-Faced Showtime might be for you. Or really for anyone who likes big lols and laughing at drunk people… So everyone?!

A Magnificent Bastard Production are the company that have brought their Sh!t-Faced Shakespeare shows to London’s West End, Edinburgh Fringe and Underbelly festival. Previous non-Shakespeare shows also include Alice Through a Cocktail Glass and Oliver with a Twist, cementing their various productions as must-see London shows.

This year’s offering of A Pissedmas Carol is a take on the traditional tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and his hauntings. The biggest difference with this show compared to other versions of Dickens’ classic? One of the cast members spends 4 hours pre-show getting very, very drunk.

The show starts with the compere detailing exactly what has been drunk beforehand as well as doling out props and jobs to audience members in anticipation of what might happen. From there the acting starts and you’re left to figure out exactly who is the drunk for this evening.

The show has a remarkable knack of capturing both the general gist of the traditional story we know in love whilst also perfectly incorporating all your favourite modern classic Christmas songs. Though with a drunk on stage and a talented cast you can expect the lyrics of some of those to change at the drop of a hat.

A heavily rotated cast and with names randomly drawn out of a hat, you can guarantee that every show will be different. In fact, I’ve done a couple of these ‘drunk’ shows and can attest that the format simply doesn’t get old. The ad-libbing of the sober actors and the general, live responses of the whole cast do make for fantastic entertainment. Be prepared to laugh a lot and always expect the unexpected, Dickens and Christmas will never be the same again.

The show is booking until the 4th January 2020 at The Leicester Square Theatre so get your tickets booked and fill yourself with festive cheer!