Writers: Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields
Director: Matt DiCarlo
Mischief is back, the theatre company responsible for The Play that Goes Wrong and Peter Pan Goes Wrong, is at it again, putting on a performance that goes wrong in all the right ways. And with four of the founding members of Mischief working so well together, it is no wonder their latest creation, Christmas Carol Goes Wrong, is an absolute masterpiece.
Despite it being February, the scene is set with Christmas music and bright and colourful Christmas jumpers as the fictitious Cornley Drama Society prepares to audition for their latest production. We meet our cast and crew: a motley band of misfits, muck-abouts and amateur dramatists. Inevitably, despite their best efforts to put on a show for the infamous reviewer in the audience, everything that could go wrong does go wrong. From forgotten lines to production fails. From lighting fails to impromptu music changes. Nothing goes well for Cornley on their big night.
The trio of writers of Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields (each a founding member of Mischief) plays a key role in what makes this performance spectacular. The writing is superb, injecting comedy into every scene and making characters that are believable and not just exaggerated farce, who could only exist in this kind of chaotic theatre environment. They create moments of hilarity throughout, often setting up jokes in the first act that come to fruition in the second act, the delay only adding to the punch when the joke lands.
The writing team is not the only key part to this production; the director, Matt DiCarlo and set designer Libby Todd work brilliantly in tandem to ensure that everything goes perfectly, which is an odd thing to say when the name of the play would indicate the opposite. The timing of every mishap and misfortune needs to be spot-on in order to ensure cast safety alongside audience enjoyment, and it is done fantastically well; whether it is a moment of physical comedy with a lighting accident or a visual gag with the set design choice, it all leaves the audience in stitches. The set itself is like another member of the ensemble; it provides so much of the comedy that it seems unfair not to give it a credit in the programme.
But it is not just the behind-the-scenes work that makes this play so good; the cast themselves are magnificent. The entire ensemble adds so much, each bringing something different that altogether makes the play so funny and enjoyable. Be it with one-liners, exaggerated method acting, or simple buffoonery, the ensemble provides a little bit of everything so that everyone in the audience has something to laugh about.
One of the standout performers is writer Henry Lewis, who plays the role of Robert in the Cornley Drama Society and multiple roles in their A Christmas Carol production, including a Clerk and the Ghost of Christmas Present. His stage presence and loud booming voice grab and hold your attention, and that sets us up for laughter. His comedic timing and one-liner delivery are great, and for a large man, he is not afraid of tight confined spaces if it means getting a laugh out of the audience.
Another highlight is Daniel Fraser, who plays Chris in the Cornley Drama Society and the lead of Ebenezer Scrooge. He appears to be the only “serious” actor amongst the drama society doing his absolute best to carry their production of A Christmas Carol single-handedly, whilst his cast-mates flub their lines, miss their cues and fight with temperamental props. But he is also responsible for many comedic incidents with acrobatic tumbles and even a fourth wall-breaking harangue against audience participation, which lets a little bit of Chris back out whilst he is in full flow as Scrooge.
A special mention for Matt Cavendish, whose character Max truly shows his versatility as he plays an entire ensemble worth of characters due to actor shortages, including a scene in which he plays five characters simultaneously, using only costume changes and hand puppets.
Overall, Christmas Carol Goes Wrong is comedy at its finest, and Mischief continues to prove that they have some of the best comedy performers working in Britain today. It is no wonder their original Play That Goes Wrong is in its eleventh year in the West End. This play deserves to spend an equal length of time entertaining and enrapturing audiences, leaving them, as with this reviewer, quite frankly pained from the sheer amount of laughter.
Runs until 7 February 2026 and on tour
