Review of ‘Christmas Carol Goes Wrong’: “Last instalment in Mischief’s saga is a creative Scrooge”

Charles Dickens’s festive classic meets the Ghost of Christmas Chaos through Mischief’s newest addition to the West End. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show to let us know if the latest Goes Wrong honours its title a little too much.

If you’ve previously seen The Play That Goes Wrong, you know what you’re coming for. In fact, you might already know everything about this one. The holiday version of Mischief’s signature piece might have added some extra sparkle to Shaftesbury’s glittering promenade, but it appears at least half of those bulbs have burnt out unintentionally. And although its themes are very much present, its execution doesn’t seem all that gifted.

Don’t expect originality. It’s left the building way before the show has started. May their Peter Pan counterpart serve as a fair warning to us all. Same jokes, same resources, same recycled ideas. The spoof on James M. Barrie’s literary classic mirrored the protagonist’s essence far too closely. And just like him, the show wouldn’t outgrow its predecessor in any aspect. Similarly, Christmas Carol Goes Wrong is as stingy as dear Ebenezer when it comes to pushing its own boundaries.

There are too many correlations between the whodunnit parody and its festive alteration. If the former concluded with a chandelier crash, this one features it in the middle of the performance. Hardcore fans will defend it as an obvious nod to “the show that started it all”. I could accept that, but the similarities persist for the entire rendition.

You will also see two actors beating each other up for the lead role; hopeless thespians in need of idiot cards because, well, they are idiots; and a desperate performer-director with a Basil Fawlty-type temperament, who gives a nearly identical opening speech listing the tongue-in-cheek titles they’ve done in the past.

It’s been done before. And what’s worse, it’s been done better. You may argue that the same characters are bound to behave the same way, but this unashamedly crosses the line between continuity and self-plagiarism.

The play is entertaining, nonetheless. And for the most part, it can provoke some strong laughter. Yet, there’s nothing shocking or surprising about it. The punchlines are too blatant; the twists can be spotted from miles and miles away; and in the end, there is nothing unique or special about what, eventually, comes across as an uninspired ersatz of Mischief’s style.

The production stars many of the company’s founding members. As a result, their chemistry is undeniable. Their naturalness, however, is not. The roles are hardly internalised, and although the troupe still manages to deliver a decent portrayal, their approach feels overly formulaic and mechanical. There’s no organicness, and their timing is slightly off. Daniel Fraser makes a refreshing exception as the nearly deranged director Chris Bean, playing the part with flair, poise, and an excellent command of dry humour.

I’d be lying if I told you the show bored me. Yet, it’d be more deceiving to say it lives up to anyone’s expectations. Much like a sitcom in its last season, this Christmas Carol doesn’t sing too much. It’s a tired recipe with barely any exciting ingredients. And so, every new mouthful the Goes Wrong series offers us grows more insipid and unappetising. Their delusional characters hoped for a raving review on opening night. The most I could do is a mixed one. Anything higher would be too much of a Christmas miracle.

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Christmas Carol Goes Wrong plays at London’s Apollo Theatre until 26 January, followed by a tour across the UK. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara