A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong – Festival Theatre

Based on their 2017 BBC television special, Mischief Theatre’s A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong was directed by Matt DiCarlo, with associate director Sydney Stevenson.

Mischief Theatre’s bread and butter are the literally named “Goes Wrong” shows (including The Play That Goes Wrong, The Goes Wrong Show, Mind Mangler – Member of the Tragic Circle, Magic Goes Wrong, Mischief Movie Night and Peter Pan Goes Wrong) which was directed by , and in this one, the Cornley Drama Society, a familiar staple of their shows, are casting a production of the seasonal Dickens classic, led by their director Chris/Scrooge (Daniel Fraser) and assistant Annie (Nancy Zamit).

Unfortunately their casting pool is not what they would like, leading to a cast which includes drama course recidivist Max (Matt Cavendish) as the entire ensemble, health and safety fatalist Trevor (Chris Leask) as the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, wannabe director Robert/Scrooge (Henry Lewis) as the Ghost of Christmas Present, enthusiastic reader Dennis (Jonathan Sayer) as Bob Cratchit, the overly eager Sandra (Ashley Tucker) as the narrator, and a possessed ventriloquist dummy as Tiny Tim. Not to mention falling fixtures and a set (designed in real life by Libby Todd) built from a makeshift, damaged model cobbled together using chocolate boxes, a Christmas present, and an acting CV.

In the script by Mischief writing trio Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields (and based on their own television script), the Chekhov’s Guns are spotlit on the walls, and the show delivers well on their promises, albeit with more traditional slapstick comedy than the often dangerous-looking gymnastics of other efforts such as Peter Pan Goes Wrong. The attention to detail remains immaculate however, and there is fun to be had even in the interval from reading the CV that makes up the stage-curtain.

The Christmas Carol adaptations and parodies are numerous, and yet Christmas Carol Goes Wrong wrings the changes from its source material, with gags that seem obvious in retrospect without feeling old (looking at you, Ghost of Christmas Present), as well as potentially more recent but careworn theatre staples such as the actor wearing multiple costumes at the same time. The cast (which includes two thirds of the writing team) are excellent and time goes by at breakneck speed (perhaps Scrooge felt the same way), with some clever (though perhaps unnecessary) parallels made between the characters and the characters-played-by-the-characters.

Overall, it’s a classic story, expertly parodied by true professionals. Where else will you get a Christmas Carol that climaxes with a giant ventriloquist dummy eating the protagonist?

A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong is running at the Festival Theatre until the 15th February 2026. Tickets are available at: https://www.capitaltheatres.com/shows/christmas-carol-goes-wrong/

Reviewer: Oliver Giggins

Reviewed: 10th February 2026

North West End UK Rating: