Review: A PISSEDMAS CAROL, Leicester Square Theatre

Sh*t-Faced Showtimes’ A Pissedmas Carol has returned to Leicester square theatre for the fourth year - a cloud of alcohol following close behind.

For those unfamiliar with how Shit-Faced Showtime’s productions work, each night, a different performer within the company gets mind-numbingly drunk. They then continue to carry on the show as normal, surrounded by their sober castmates…to much chaos (and often, complete plot derailment).

In this instance, it's fortunate that the source material for A Pissedmas Carol remains one of the most recognisable Christmas stories. Otherwise, the ad-libbing and creative licence taken by the inebriated Scrooge would make it hard to figure out what is actually happening on stage.

However, as with any Sh*t-Faced Showtime production, it's the forays away from the original script that make the show special. It also means that every performance is different. For press night, it was Scrooge’s turn to grab the bottle, but other audiences may enjoy a “tipsy Tiny Tim” or “boozed-up Bob Cratchit”. However, this also means that every performance is both hilarious and memorable, depending on the whim of the inebriated actor in question.

In this instance, Scrooge had to be reminded quite frequently of his own character arc after agreeing to donate £3-4 million to charity within the first few minutes of the production. If that starting point alone wasn’t enough to rouse Dickens from the grave, questions about Tiny Tim’s true parentage and an impressive amount of ad-libbed Harry Potter and Stranger Things references surely would.

For this reason, it's hard to tell audiences what to expect heading into the show - other than that, you won’t struggle to see which performer drew the short straw that evening. Despite this, the entire ensemble gives excellent performances, showing a real knack for comedic timing and improvisation skills alongside some genuinely stellar vocals. Daniel-Quirke gives a standout performance as the Ghost of Christmas Present (among other roles), but this is genuinely a production where every performer holds their own. Not only that, but they’re also having fun every single second.

They’re also great babysitters for the drunk performer, able to nudge them towards some coherency - aided by the emcee who oversees the proceedings (and hands out extra drinks when necessary).

There’s a real buzz in the air throughout the performance, perhaps aided by Christmas Spirits themselves (and mulled wine), which makes for a truly enjoyable, laugh-a-minute performance that audiences are sure to love.

A Pissedmas Carol is at Leicester Square Theatre until 6 January 2024

Photo Credit: Rah Petherbridge

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