Aylesbury Waterside Theatre – until Saturday 7th February 2026
Reviewed by Rachel Clark
5****
Absolutely Hilarious
From the moment this starts you know it is going to be good. The stage was set up really well and there was a lot of stage props all very well done, you didn’t notice the set changes in the play when they happened amongst the laughter.
From the first line, this was just full of slapstick comedy, one liners and you are laughing so much it hurts, I was this time really looking forward to the interval to have a breather from laughing, I ached from laughing. The audience were just thoroughly enjoying the performance, it was a grey miserable February evening, and this lightened it up the town must of heard the laughter outside of the theatre. How the performers aren’t laughing themselves I do not know they are so serious and very well acted. At first I thought “Christmas in February?” But it wouldn’t matter if you watched it in the height of summer, it was great comedy and performance whatever the time of the year.
This is a play within a play. The story line is a Director is auditioning for the play A Christmas Carol but not having much success with finding actors. They decide to go with the ones they had firstly dismissed. There was a mix of actors and all were comical, actors not remembering lines, those wanting to be director. Without out spoiling too much, one actor had a squeaky voice, he thought he was there for the The Muppets Christmas Carol, not the Dickens version. Robert played by Henry Lewis who had a superb booming voice – auditioned for every play/film there was at Christmas, he did carry out the Christmas present well and having to adorn red lycra tights must have taken some guts.
The Director of A Christmas Carol was played as Chris Bean by Daniel Fraser, he was amazing, but everyone was, you can’t pick one actor out as they were all exceptional.
A big round of applause to the creative team for this performance, the writers Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, Set design Libby Todd and Costume design Roberto Surance – but honestly to all the team along with production, it was faultless, but to be honest if anything did go amiss you would think it was part of the play.
It you want to a laugh to brighten up your evening it is definitely a must go and see, no doubt about it.