Ever wished it could be Christmas every day? You certainly won’t by the end
of Anthony Neilson’s imaginative seasonal offering in which stroppy 10 year
old Holly (Imogen Doel making her professional stage debut) decides to
hijack Santa because, year after disappointing year, he’s ignored her
Christmas wish to find her real dad.
Angry as a wasp in her stripy yellow and black jumper, she’s determined to
confront him and hatches an elaborate plan which involves blocking the
chimney with a sleeping bag, a crisp-covered carpet (she’ll hear the crunch
when he drops through the skylight), glue on the mantelpiece and a great big
bucket.
Of course, things don’t go quite as expected and she ends up with
Santa’s son (Tom Godwin’s gangling Bumblehole in bright elf-green) tied to
the tree with tinsel, an increasingly malevolent teddy bear with a Russian
accent masquerading as her father, and a Groundhog situation in which no
sooner has Christmas day ended than it starts all over again.
Though aimed at 7- 11 year olds, there’s more than enough here to entertain
teens and adults too. Neilson (who also directs) and co-writer Nick Powell
(who provided the songs) have added some nicely inventive touches: Holly’s
stepdad is a dog (her mum turns out to have a bit of a thing for furry
animals) – when he takes himself off for a walk he makes sure he’s got a
plastic poop bag stuffed in his trouser pocket, and he’s decked the tree
with sausages and bacon.
Grumpy Santa is on the verge of retirement, and
this is surely the first time in its history that a toy teddy (with a life
of its own, thanks to puppeteer Chand Martinez) has had a starring role at
the Royal Court.
4/5
Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, SW1W 8AS
Tube: Sloane Square
020 7565
5000
royalcourttheatre.com
Until 15th January
£12-£25 (under 16’s £8
– £12.50)
– Louise Kingsley
