Review: Sh!t-Faced Showtime: A Pissedmas Carol, Leicester Square Theatre

Have you ever watched A Christmas Carol and thought… ‘I wish Scrooge were drunk?’ Then look no further for your next festive fix; Sh!t-Faced Showtime is sure to satisfy your desire for a more adult (though perhaps no more mature) Christmas show. Returning to Leicester Square Theatre for a sixth year, their take on the Dickens classic of an old, wealthy, miserable man being visited by three ghosts is sharp, quick, and hilarious. 

For anyone unfamiliar with a Sh!t-Faced Showtime performance, they follow a very simple concept: performances with one drunken actor in their midst. Audiences don’t know who will be the inebriated cast member until the night, which makes for an exciting and unique evening out. Our drunken actor for the evening was Ashley Gerlach as Scrooge, who was appropriately miserable, fed up, and more than happy to swear. Having the main character as the drunkard made for an excellent rewrite of the Christmas classic, and Gerlach’s portrayal regularly had the audience in stitches. 

Nicola Jones’ set design is delightfully cartoonish, and the actors’ use of the stage and seating areas is particularly engaging. It’s so exciting watching how intelligently the sober cast members must navigate around their drunken co-star, and it’s a real testament to the power and comedic effect of good improv. 

Equally, Lucy Fowler’s costuming is particularly inventive when it comes to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, which utilised the set design in such an interestingly creative way.

Given the unpredictable and incomparable nature of the show, there were, of course, beats which didn’t land quite as well, and moments which lagged, but luckily, there’s always a ringleader off-stage ready to force the actors back on track (however unsuccessful that may be!)

It’s a certified audience participation-fest, including a willing onlooker to play Mr Fezziwig and a whole host of others who are equipped with various instruments to play at their leisure to trigger another fourth-wall-breaking moment in the performance.  The level of audience engagement makes the crowd electric. At one point, our Scrooge abandoned his performance to go wandering through the crowds in an attempt to escape the rest of the cast and was forcibly and reluctantly pulled back onstage. 

A particular standout within the stellar cast was Dan Quirke, who played Mrs Fezziwig, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the little boy who tells Scrooge which day it is. His quips were cleverly timed, genuinely hilarious, and his physical comedy really brought each of his characters to life. It’s delightful knowing that you’re getting a rare glimpse into the actor’s true personality, which only adds to the character and, by default, encourages other cast members to imbue their characters with a flair of their own. Sh!t-faced Showtime’s A Pissedmas Carol offers such a wonderfully fresh take on a very well-known tale and is sure to give you the best night of belly-laughs. Perhaps the only complaint to be suggested is that the show feels too short!

Director: Katy Baker
Writer: Lewis Ironside
Producers: James Murfitt & Johanna Rigg
Musical Direction: Charlotte Brooke
Costume Design: Lucy Fowler

Sh!t-Faced Showtime: A Pissedmas Christmas plays at Leicester Square Theatre
until Sunday January 4.