Crashing into Glasgow on it’s second to last stop this tour, A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong is a treat for all the family. If theatre isn’t your thing, if plays are not your thing – give this a try and soon you will fall in love.
What’s even more exciting about this visit from the Cornely Drama Society is that we have original cast members touring with this production so those who are long standing fans of the plays and TV shows will be thrilled.
We open with a single ‘Ghost Light’ in the centre of the stage and Libby Todd’s simple yet effective set design makes us feel like we are looking at the background of the King’s stage itself. But her true creative can be seen in the Dickensian sets of London when we are transported into the story of a Christmas Carol. Exquisite and grand it did feel a little out of budget for an amateur dramatic society but having said that, the expectation of a big production like this does need to accommodate for the more professional sets as without these the production would not and could not live up to the chaos of what ensues.
The story follows the classic tale of ‘A Christmas Carol’ but there are some elements of ‘filler’ that I felt did not work and possibly were not needed. The audition process at the beginning of Act One was a good way to introduce the characters that fans know of but not necessarily the whole audience. The references to past productions were nice little Easter Egg’s for the fans but if new to the Cornely Drama world, you did not have to know about these to enjoy each character’s performance.
The audition stage is where our audience meets the director of Cornely Drama Society and lead actor (in most productions) Chris Bean played by the wonderful Daniel Fraser. He leads this production (or as well as he can!) with the pompous and stuck-up attitude that we associate well with this character. Being on stage about 90% of the time he shines in his moments but allows his fellow actors to take centre stage when their turn presents itself. Fraser’s audience interactions were on top form in Act two and he handled the Scottish crowd with ease.
We are also introduced to the long-suffering assistant and performer of many characters, Annie played by Dumile Sibanda. Portraying the simple-minded yet kind and enthusiastic Annie, Sibanda brings warmth and humour to many of the scenes and her assistance of the set-up of many a comedic moment allowed for a smooth and very funny production.
Matt Cavendish brings to life the loveable yet slightly down on his luck Max. Just trying to improve his acting skills, he feels he needs to prove himself and takes on around 80% of the ensemble characters. Cavendish brings energy and enthusiasm playing this goofball and the audience felt relaxed knowing they were in the hands of a professional when he entered the scene. Special mention to Cavendish portraying four characters in the one scene interacting with only each other – no spoilers but maybe just go and see how he does it for yourself!
This tour as mentioned before, has some original returning cast members reprising their roles and, in this performance, Chris Leask returns to the role of the lack-lustre stage hand Trevor. His well-known Geordie accent and apparent dis-regard for anything related to Health and Safety only makes for un-predictable chaos. Leask’s un-planned stage appearances whilst moving sets and masterful comedic performance as the ‘Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come’ with a Scottish accent had the audience excited for his next on-stage appearance.
On this performance the bold and eccentric Robert was played by understudy Will Bishop. Very large shoes to fill playing this role that is usually performed by one of the writers Henry Lewis, but Bishop did not disappoint. Although Bishop was not particularly strong initially, as the performance progressed, he became much more comfortable and shone as the Ghost of Christmas Present’ with side-splitting results.
Jonathan Sayer returns to the role of the forgetful Dennis. Having to read his lines off of different objects throughout makes for many hilarious scenes. His nervousness and vulnerability make for an enticing character that brings not only humour but a warmth and a ‘woop!’ from the crowd when he remembers.
Greg Tannahill returns as another Cornely Alum portraying the role of Jonathan. Playing a slightly traumatised Jonathan from the last production – it felt he was not used as much as we would have expected. However, when he was on stage, Tannahill brought the anxiety and stress the character was supposed to have when it came to anything with a small height. He excelled as the role of ghostly Jacob Marley with an humours and chaotic ending.
Last but by no means least, rounding off our cast is our maternity cover Sandra played by Ashley Tucker. She brought the air and graces we have come to love from the character. The over-the-top, extravagant personality shone bright when Tucker was present although her presence felt over-shadowed by others sharing the stage.
As said previously the story follows the tale of Dicken’s a Christmas Carol with some additional scenes at the beginning of Act One and ending of Act Two. These additional scenes felt they were only included due to extending the production. It felt they were used as ‘filler’ scenes and took away from the main story. Particularly the ending of Act Two, the actors gather on stage to await the review of the show. This felt lack-lustre and not true to the chaos we normally see with Mischief. However, the mistakes, mishaps and mischievous moments throughout the main story show what writers Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields were born to do.
Roberto Suracce’s costumer during the production of a Christmas Carol looked like they were pulled from a BBC drama Victorian drama. Very professional but not missing the fun and quirky colours to give the light-hearted and humours feel.
Lighting Design by David Howe and sound design and composition by Alexandra Faye Braithwaite captured the gloomy dim lit Victorian streets but enhanced the ghostly visits to transport the audience into the story. The sound was clear and concise which is essential in a comedy play ensuring not one joke is missed by the audience.
For me, as a fan of Mischief Theatre this was one of their weaker stories, nonetheless it was still packed full of comedy, chaos and that slap-stick humour we know and love from the team. The call-backs to previous productions and references worked well for the fans but still landed well with new audiences.
I remain a fan of Mischief Theatre as I adore the craftsmanship and work that goes into a production such as this one but feel the story surrounding the Christmas Carol section was weak. That does not takeaway from the stellar performances from all cast members. Such a fun family night out for all and you will leave with your sides sore and your cheeks rosey.
Playing Glasgow until Sunday 22nd February 2026 – https://www.mischiefcomedy.com/whats-on/christmas-carol-goes-wrong/tour/
Theatre Scotland 
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