Horrible Christmas Live on Stage at Alexandra Palace Theatre
The Horrible Histories franchise can almost do no wrong in my (and my children’s) estimation. We have found every stage (plus a Thames riverboat cruise) adaptation pleasing in its just-right gross-out juvenile humour mixed with lashings of proper history. Given my adoration of the brand, it’s probably worth acknowledging that my expectations are high when offered the opportunity to attend anything to do with it. As a touring production, the magic of HH is not in its production values but rather the clever coat-rack staging and multi-rolling that requires little more than a vague theme to tie the irreverent but edifying vignettes together (be it a period of time, a royal dynasty or a location). Just like Terry Deary’s books and the smash TV series, on stage Horrible Histories conveys stories with a kind of outrageous marvel underpinned by credibility and the debunking of received wisdom – that makes kids and grown-ups feel all the smarter and a bit sassier for it. It is with all this fangirl ardour that I have to confess to being disappointed by Horrible Christmas Live on Stage this year.
Although this production is directed by Neal Foster (who also troupes away with virtuoso skill in the various roles he enacts in the production as well as serves as Actor Manager for Birmingham Rep), I scoured the programme to look for a writer and could not find a credit. Herein lies the problem. Birmingham Rep stalwarts, like Benedict Martin (Sydney Clause), chew the scenery admirably but this show seems to have lost focus on the History and went looking for the Horrible in a tacked-on plot device that was both distracting and derivative, rather than in the outrageous but true facts that define the brand.
In the lovely souvenir programme, there are some wonderfully kooky nuggets about how some of the more puzzling features of 21st-century British Christmas have come to be celebrated. For some reason, these appear to have been left in the rehearsal room and that is a pity. Instead Foster and the team committed more to the ‘glue’ and less to the sketches which left us with a series of uneven historical episodes and rather lumpen pacing. Time spent in the Victorian period, illuminating the role of Charles Dickens in the modern conception of Christmas, was strong as was the episode under Oliver Cromwell, but so much time across two acts was devoted to non-historical filler that the production felt light on Horrible Histories’ trademark substance and the wonder of it.
The show opens with an eager boy, Watson (Ashley Cousins), tempted by the presents under the tree. The opening scene almost sets up a panto construct but can’t quite commit to fully going there. We are introduced to an embittered baddie determined to destroy Christmas, Sydney Clause, who is half pseudo-Grinch and half psychoanalytic case study of Ebeneezer Scrooge’s primary childhood trauma. We then meet Shirley Holmes – setting up all manner of groaning “elementary my dear Watson” gags (I’m fine with that in principle: Christmas Cracker jokes and panto groaners are to be expected at a seasonal family performance) – but her role is to embark on a very familiar time travelling McGuffin to stop Christmas from being ruined in the past. No non-interreference doctrine here but plenty to make a Doctor Who intellectual property rights litigator dream of letters before action in someone’s Christmas card this year.
I would love to see this show return next year with more Christmas history, more of the classic HH musical take-the-mickey homage numbers and, if it wants to embrace panto then it should do so fully (ideally including a bit of history of how it came to be that we have Dames and Principal Boys to this day). Bring on the Vikings and the Romans but, dear Santa, please may I have a gift receipt to return discreetly the Sydney Clause and Shirley Holmes telenovela?
Review by Mary Beer
When Christmas comes under threat from a jolly man dressed in red, it’s up to one young boy to save the day – but can he save Christmas? From Victorian villains to Medieval monks, Puritan parties to Tudor treats, join us on an hair-raising adventure through the history of Christmas in the company of Charles Dickens, Oliver Cromwell, King Henry VIII and St Nicholas as they all join forces to save the festive season!
Cast
Ashley Cousins – Watson Williams
Neal Foster – Dad
Emma Swan – Mum
Benedict Martin – Sydney Clause
Jake Lomas – Buster
Isabel Ford – Shirley Holmes
Nia Tilley – Liz Cromwell / Understudy
Oliver Britten – Richard Cromwell / Understudy
Creative Team
Directed by Neal Foster
Set & Costumes by Jackie Trousdale
Lighting by Jason Taylor
Sound by Tom Lishman
Music by Matthew Scott
Choreography by Rae Piper & Paul Chantry
Production managed by Adrian Littlejohns