Don your antlers and put up those festive fairy lights as it’s that time of the year again – the much anticipated annual Christmas show at The Basement Theatre! This year’s edition Santa Claus has all the right ingredients for the perfect end-of-year Christmas treat.
The “very famous and very French” quartet that make up A Slightly Isolated Dog (Hayley Sproull, Jack Buchanan, Andrew Paterson, Susie Berry) are the gracious hosts of the festivities, adorning audience members with tinsel while engaging in pleasant banter. The arena theatre and cabaret style seating work well to further accentuate this communal, merrymaking atmosphere.
The show kicks off in very much the same vein – there is no Fourth Wall or traditional stage with the action taking place and story unfolding all around you. Conversations that took place earlier are auspiciously incorporated into the narrative, shaping it and adding comedic value at opportune moments. Audience members are also regularly called on to get involved in the hysterical high jinks of the evening.
Part sketch comedy, part musical with a whole lot of improv and a generous helping of raucous shenanigans to boot, this is a jam-packed show with many moving parts. As is tradition, each performance has a mystery guest; ours was RadioLIVE broadcaster ‘Moustachio Sex God’ Mark Sainsbury who was a great sport and took it all in his stride.
The improvisational nature of this type of production keeps things unpredictable which makes for quite an exciting experience. What unravels is heavily reliant on audience participation and the special cast member but Sproull, Buchanan, Paterson and Berry never once lose control of the plot and coupled with their sharp wit adeptly manage any hiccups or unexpected turns.
From Christmas gifts with a twist to a hilariously irreverent full-fledged Christmassacre, Santa Claus turns what we know of the silly season and the jolly man in the red suit on its head. For a riotous outing of festive fun and frivolity that promises a rollicking good time, this is the ticket.
Santa Claus will be causing mayhem at the Basement Theatre until 20th December. For more details and to book tickets, click here.
comedy | theatre | live entertainment | performing arts 