Reviewed by Alice Clayton
Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review.
It's Christmas time, the season of too much food, drink, presents and Pantos!
The idea of turning what is a family-friendly show into an adult only production isn't anything new; Jim Davison did this in the 90s with 'Sinderella', and more recently, 'Dizney In Drag'. It seems my year of reviews has been nicely book ended with this style of production.
The Southwark Elephant is a great space. How wonderful to see new theatres popping up!
The promo of this show told you exactly what to expect. When arriving, we were warmly greeted with champagne, free crackers (with badges inside - Merry Christmas ya filthy animal!) and a warning on the ripe tone of the piece!
The stage looked fine, a lovely 'A Very Naughty Christmas' sign placed high above the band, who were placed above the stage.
There was however, a lack of Christmas decor. The two trees were ok, but it felt like it needed more? Especially as everything else about this show was very well thought out.
There were six tables on the stage, so the producers were obviously fans of the Cabaret and/or the cabaret style. Unfortunately if you weren't sat in one of these spots, you missed a lot of the very good choreography happening on the floor.
I have to say just how awesome the singing was, and to start the show with a beautiful, close-knit harmony version to a classic Christmas number before being rudely pulled away to the real tone of the piece told us that this was going to be a great show. Too many times companies think a panto is easy, or a cheap way to make money and that often seeps into the production, but not here.
If this show wasn't your cup of tea, or your pint of Fosters, it wouldn't matter. This team knew how to sell it ten-fold.
Bad Santa was played by Stephen Hirst. Very likeable from the off as his charisma worked excellently. He was thoroughly engaging to watch.
Kirby Burgess was outstanding. Her voice excelled any West End performer currently on the circuit with various personas working brilliantly for her.
In truth, there were no bad performances, from Chris O'Mara to Rebecca Rolled... everyone sold their part and this show. As well as some very honed physiques!
The performance area was quite small and the clever choreographer (Daniel Venz) achieved a very smart show, keeping it neat, precise and still with a wow factor. There were only a few moments where cast members bumped into one another, but whilst they find their feet this week, I didn't mind at all.
I only had a few issues: sight-lines for the floorwork, which was a real shame. Move into your space and see what works and what doesn't...then adapt. I wanted the love story resolution to have a bigger impact and not be a throw away note at the end, but that's the old romantic in me. Despite her delectable abilities, maybe shaving one of Kirby Burgess' solos and giving these two a song would work?
For me, the show was maybe ten minutes too long. But, and it's a big but, for someone who isn't very keen on cabaret or that kind of show, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and that's a testament to how good A Very Naughty Christmas is. 'Santa Loves you Less Because You're Poor' and Kirby's solo of Jingle Bells is well-worth the ticket price alone.
If you want a panto AND something different, this is definitely the show for you. Full of fun, a cheeky bum, plenty of banter and a naughty Santa. Grab your tickets.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Very Naughty Christmas plays at Southwark Playhouse Elephant until Saturday 11th January 2025. To book tickets visit https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/a-very-naughty-christmas/
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