The classic fairy tale spreads its wings (and something else) through this irreverent show not suitable for the tight ones. Guillermo Nazara shares squeezes every part of the piece, to let us know if this touching affair was actually funny business.
On the twelfth day of Christmas my dealer gave to me
Twelve drillers drilling
Eleven pumpers pumping
Ten screwers screwing
Nine boots knocking
Eight posts stiffing
Seven plowers plowing
Six trimmers trimming
Five pounders pounding
Four blowers blowing
Three rimmers rimming
Two pluggers plugging
And a cave where I put in my tree
I needed being done a lot… of work… around the house! (I’m gonna stop now cuz nothingh I’m adding is making it sound any better). Sigh… Well, I hope you’re all enjoying the holiday vibe as the Christmas spirit, as pretty much always, seems to have arrived earlier… I mean, it’s precoming… Damn it!!! Anyway, as the big man prepares to shove his gift down your chimney (please, don’t say anything), the season calls to celebrate that lovely time of the year when you get to reunite with all those relatives you never see – because apparently, there’s not a reason why that happens…
But what could be better to soothe those burns when you’re bottoming (take that as you wish… perv…) than an show starring a drug addicted mother, a lost-in-life teenage and a wooden carved toy that consoles her every time things are going down?… Seriously, how old are you? Well, I hope not too young – cuz this panto is definitely not suitable for tiny boys (uh-hum). Enter The Nutcracker, a re-re-re-RE-imagined version of the charming (though not anymore) children’s tale turned into a load of camp. And maybe, some other kind of load, too.
Featuring spoofed versions of both your favourite ballet and kids tunes (you won’t be able to let it go once you see those…), the piece is an absurd and ridiculously funny recount exploring the power of love, friendship and the grapes of wrath (catch my drift). Penned by Joshua Coley and directed by Luke Byrne, its irreverent bring humour to the very edge through its indelicately cracking jokes. There’s some heavy stuff to swallow (watch out for the whipped cream making scene) and a lot of big laugh ma to follow. However, there’s a still some grooming to be done downstairs to allow the material to fully flow (don’t you just love me?).
Despite counting on incredibly amusing moments, those coming in spades (oh, give it up), the main focus of the narrative feels a bit coarse, yet – with the subplot revolving around the mother being more interesting and engaging than what’s supposed to be the main line. Perhaps, it’s the fact that the lead character, Carly, feels too PG-7 (regardless of her ball-eating dummy friend) or, most probably, it’s because she lacks the quick, bitter bitchiness than a gay protagonist would have brought instead. But all in all, the general impression is that the real star of this story is that decrepit pill-craving crone that needs to fill her hole every 2 minutes… What? I was taking about her mouth… Oh…
Nonetheless, the show still manages to entertain and compel to a satisfactory level, particularly thanks to its rather electrifying company. Among them, a big mention goes to Theo Walker, for his well-defined versatility at performing the longest (giggity) repertoire of roles – flip-flopping from one to another like a complete professional. But the one who’s indisputably higher (I mean, was using a lot…) as for the praise is, with no doubt, Joshua Coley. Also starring as the mum, his portrayal is delivered with such remarkable timing and stage presence, to the point it’s precisely his snippets you end up being excited for throughout the entire evening.
With a few stains scattered around but an overall positive score, The Nutcracker fulfills its promise by being both cracking and nuts (and also, cracking nuts) with a silly yet entertaining piece which, though not the most polished, still manages to give you a nice facial… expression. Some small, yet significant tweaks would give it a stronger personality – as a result, shining brighter deeper than its competitors, and perhaps being the one that finally tops them all.
All pictures credit to Danny Kaan.
The Nutcracker plays at London’s Turbine Theatre until 23 December. Tickets are available on the following link.