Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL(ISH), @sohoplace
Photo credit: Matt Crockett
If you think you know A Christmas Carol, it’s definitely time to think again because A Christmas Carol(ish) takes Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday tale, tosses it into a blender with Nick Mohammed’s chaotic comedic genius, and serves up something entirely fresh, bonkers, and ridiculously fun. This isn’t your usual festive feel-good fare; this is Mr. Swallow in full, glorious, Yuletide madness, and we’re one hundred percent here for it!
The premise is simple: Santa cancels Christmas. And who steps in to save the festive season? Well, considering this is a take on A Christmas Carol, you might have guessed that Santa is visited by three ghosts (plus an additional ghost) to be shown the error of his ways. It’s here that Nick Mohammed’s wildly unpredictable alter-ego, Mr. Swallow, takes over. If you’ve seen Mohammed on Inside Number 9, Ted Lasso or Taskmaster, you already know you’re in for a treat, but as Mr. Swallow, he’s on another level – imagine a well-meaning, slightly unhinged whirlwind who somehow manages to make total chaos both endearing and hilarious.
But this isn’t just a retelling of A Christmas Carol. A Christmas Carol(ish) has singing, dancing, and more mishaps than you can count, and hilariously Mr. Swallow, Mr Goldsworth, Rochelle, and Jonathan don’t just break the fourth wall; they smash it to smithereens with a festive sledgehammer. And the result is pure, unfiltered comedy gold.
Nick Mohammed as Mr. Swallow isn’t the only one bringing the festive cheer; Martha Howe-Douglas (Ghosts, Horrible Histories) is pitch-perfect as less-than-pitch-perfect Rochelle, a performer on retainer from Andrew Lloyd Webber who’s really there to plug her new album. Kieran Hodgson (Two Doors Down) nails the role of Rudolph – he manages to balance charm with sheer bewilderment at the madness swirling around him. And David Elms (Borderline) is fantastic as a weary and resigned Mr Goldsworth who’s funded the whole endeavour and who plays all the ghosts (including the additional ghost) completely straight – not an easy thing to do with all the pandemonium going on around him. The whole cast works perfectly with Mohammed’s whirlwind energy, making the comedy feel fast, fluid, and completely off the rails in the best possible way.
What makes A Christmas Carol(ish) so special is that it doesn’t just rely on the well-trodden path of holiday nostalgia. Yes, the Dickensian elements are there – ghosts, redemption, a cancelled Christmas – but they’re twisted, stretched, and blown up into something entirely new. The show is packed with surprises, and just when you think you know what’s coming, Mr. Swallow throws another festive spanner in the works.
It’s also surprisingly heartwarming. Underneath all the chaos, there’s a real message about the meaning of Christmas, told in the most unexpected, irreverent way possible, of course. You get the sentiment without the saccharine, and that’s a Christmas miracle in itself.
To top things off nicely, there are plenty of musical numbers throughout the show, and they are gloriously over-the-top and you can tell the cast is having as much fun performing them as the audience is watching. Whether it’s a jazzy Christmas tune or a slightly ridiculous dance routine, the music is just as joyful and unpredictable as the rest of the production.
If you’re looking for a traditional Christmas show, this isn’t it. But if you want to spend an evening crying with laughter, clutching your sides, and wondering what on earth could possibly happen next, A Christmas Carol(ish) is the perfect choice. Nick Mohammed’s Mr. Swallow is a chaotic delight, the cast are brilliant, and the entire show is packed with enough festive fun to keep your spirits high long after you’ve left the theatre.
It’s silly, it’s heartfelt, and it’s wonderfully weird, and we can’t think of a better way to kick off the Christmas season.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Lisamarie Lamb
A Christmas Carol(ish) plays at London’s @sohoplace until 31 December, with further info here.
