Month: December 2022

A Pissedmas Carol, Leicester Square Theatre

by Zahid Fayyaz

Shit-faced Showtime has returned to their London home, the Leicester Square Theatre, for their annual yuletide version of Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. The USP of this particular Christmas Carol, to distinguish it from the other versions across the country, is that one member of the cast is completely hammered and the rest of the case have to work around and incorporate their drunken ramblings into the show. The cast also incorporate a number of contemporary songs into the narrative, which occasionally do not work, though not at the fault of their singing talent.

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The Lost Lending Library, Bernie Grant Arts Centre

by Tom Brocklehurst

Celebrated immersive theatre company Punchdrunk, currently performing across town to grown-ups in The Burnt City, prove that they have the capability to engage and enchant a younger audience as well through their educational arm, Punchdrunk Enrichment. All tickets are pay-what-you-can so it’s a brilliant incentive that allows access to families who might not otherwise be able to afford a family Christmas show across most of London.

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Little Red Robin Hood, Battersea Arts Centre

Ali Wright

by Romy Foster

This December, audiences of Battersea Arts Centre are transported to the vibrant forest of Cherwood where big bad wolves, beloved outlaws and worldwide superstars run amock. This inventive mash-up of the famous childhood classics Little Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood make an unlikely but hilarious twist as we follow the townspeople being terrorised by the sheriff of Nottingham in his wicked attempt to build a car park over the village.

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Handel’s Messiah: The Live Experience, Drury Lane Theatre

by Euan Vincent

When Handel wrote the Messiah in 1741, he faced fierce competition within the dwindling operagoing-market to get more bums on seats. Opera was seen as obtuse, elitist and too expensive (oh, how times have changed). Faced with this reticence, Handel wrote Messiah as an oratorio, which is similar to opera but isn’t typically staged, is written in English and focuses heavily on Christian themes – all of which were designed to broaden the appeal of his piece to the widest audience possible.

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