A Christmas Carol (ish) at @sohoplace review: a festive hit in waiting

Well, there's a archetypal for everything. In 2 decades of reviewing this was the archetypal clip I've seen a amusement extremity early. What should person been a sparkling opening nighttime for Nick Mohammed's distinctly idiosyncratic instrumentality connected a Dickens classical came to an abrupt decision erstwhile a bundle contented could not beryllium resolved.

This was a shame due to the fact that aft a delayed commencement things were going truthful well. Before Mohammed became a shot sitcom prima arsenic Nate successful Ted Lasso helium was known champion for his change ego Mr Swallow, the socially awkward squeaky-voiced wannabe who fronts this Yuletide tale. To get a Lasso-worthy saying, this was a crippled of 2 halves without the 2nd half.

Mohammed/Swallow plays Scrooge, but owed to "rights issues" becomes Santa successful this song-and-dance version. He starts disconnected being bah humbug beastly to his elves, played by David Elms, Kieran Hodgson and Ghosts prima Martha Howe-Douglas, but aft being visited by past, contiguous and aboriginal spooks of the Dickensian assortment helium is transformed. At which constituent the curtain came down and didn't emergence again...

I saw a erstwhile mentation of this amusement astatine the Soho Theatre which was shambolic and not ever successful a bully way. This slicker, souped-up accumulation with the aforesaid director, Matt Peover, struck a amended equilibrium betwixt silliness and sophistication. There are quickfire gags, in-jokes, ocular tricks, adjacent acrobatics. And a set, by Fly Davis, which is simply a store afloat of drawers and cubby holes that besides boasts immoderate surprises.

The songs scope from folky to ballads, from jokey to jaunty, lyrics by Mohammed, euphony by Oliver Birch. The skilful supporting formed wryly subvert their subsidiary roles, with Hodgson, for example, who would marque a passable David Tennant stunt double, hamming it up arsenic a red-nosed reindeer.

And truthful decision was snatched from the jaws of a glorious victory. I erstwhile heard rumours of a professional – nary longer successful the critiquing crippled – who had a wont of leaving successful the interval. He concluded that a dud would not amended successful the 2nd fractional and helium could scent a smash earlier the break. I could already odor a deed here, but I would person had the courtesy of staying to the last bow if it had continued.

As I was finishing this reappraisal an email pinged successful from the publicists including a connection from the theatre that they "are devastated that the property nighttime for A Christmas Carol (ish) could not beryllium completed contiguous owed to method difficulties." Not elf and information problems arsenic immoderate wag quipped. Tonight's show has been cancelled. Ticket holders for Thursday oregon Friday volition beryllium contacted by the container office.

At the extremity the formed came connected to a lasting ovation and Mohammed, understandably said that helium was "gutted." You'd person to beryllium a existent Scrooge not to basal for him.