Christmas Carol Goes Wrong at Apollo Theatre
Mischief Theatre and their Cornley Drama Society alter-egos are back with yet another play that goes wrong.
Christmas Carol Goes Wrong is more or less what you’d expect by now if you’ve had the pleasure of seeing any of their previous shows. A company of bumbling actors attempt to stage a play, and just about everything that can go wrong does go wrong, from hilarious costume malfunctions to epic set design catastrophes. There are interruptions, arguments, and misunderstandings.
This is not the first time that Mischief have sunk A Christmas Carol, with a version going wrong for the BBC back in 2017. This new stage version shares a few of the same gags but is otherwise almost entirely fresh. So for those who have seen one, there are plenty of reasons to watch the other.
The production opens on an entire act of exposition, giving behind-the-scenes insight into the Cornley lore and setting up countless jokes to be paid off later in rapidfire. The group auditions actors for parts in A Christmas Carol and sets about planning the show, which plays out from the second act.
Writers Henry Lewis, Henry Shields and Jonathan Sayer have a formula, and they stick to it – but what a formula it is. These are the masters of comedy. The play is littered with well-crafted, intelligent verbal jokes in between the most ridiculously silly physical comedy, like a man getting stuck in a box.
Rather wonderfully, around 50 per cent of the original Goes Wrong cast are back, reprising their roles. But the new cast members slot in perfectly, particularly Daniel Fraiser as Chris Bean as Scrooge.
The biggest criticism that can be aimed at Christmas Carol Goes Wrong is that they give barely a second to breathe before causing more raucous laughter. For those who have yet to see a Goes Wrong show, this is a fine example to start with. And those who have already seen one will likely struggle to keep themselves away.
Jim Compton-Hall
Photos: Courtesy of Apollo Theatre
Christmas Carol Goes Wrong is at Apollo Theatre from 6th December 2025 until 26th January 2026. For further information or to book, visit the theatre’s website here.
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