Theatre / Reviews
Review: SCRAPS: Christmas Leftovers, Wardrobe Theatre – ‘Wildly exuberant, warm and irresistibly funny’
SCRAPS: Christmas Leftovers is the brilliant latest iteration of the SCRAPS project from Bristol-based theatremakers Daisy Kennedy and Mia Macleod – this time accompanied by Charlie Nye.
Aptly titled, it calls to mind not the Instagram-friendly, shop-front splendour of the festive season, but rather those more familiar experiences of tacky, shambolic imperfection that are abundant at this time of year.
This hilarious and playful hour and a quarter of skits, music, dancing and dogs at the Wardrobe Theatre (soon to be celebrating its 10-year anniversary) is a real treat.
And for all its theatricality, it comes across like an authentic representation of what Christmas truly feels like. It is the feeling of hurting your palms whilst cracking a chocolate orange, the itchiness of tinsel, the impractical nature of cracker gifts and the haziness of half-remembered song lyrics.
A buzzing crowd packed out the Wardrobe for this sell-out, one-off performance, all bursting with warm anticipation for an evening of belly laughs.
Despite the fragments of the theatre’s ongoing Christmas mash-up production Moulin Scrooge (which has sold out its entire run) around them, the trio make the space entirely their own, working brilliantly with no set to speak of other than tinsel, cheap chocolate advent calendars and a smartly utilised projected backdrop.
The audience are involved from the outset, responding to the request to write down our Christmas wishes – the results of which are promptly screwed up and thrown into a bin bag whilst actors Daisy and Mia proclaim, tongues firmly in cheek, that this is “not a Christmas show”.
This lovely interactive element continues throughout this pacey one-act show, fostered by the Wardrobe’s intimate space, as well as some recognisable songs that encourage audience members to shout, laugh and sing along to their hearts’ content.
Essentially, what Daisy, Mia and Charlie take us through is an exuberant piece of devised comedy theatre, characterised for its bold and esoteric style, but also its warmth. Their obvious friendship off stage strengthens their rapport, not least in moments of improvisation which come across as a masterclass of off-the-cuff comedic timing.
Like the frantic comedy of attempting to play Just Dance with the family on Boxing Day, we’re treated to a Fast Show-style chocolate box assortment of sketches, leaning on impressions one minute, and slapstick or lip sync the next.
From the 10 best seasonal sweet treats, we cover the loneliness of the mind-reading red fish cracker toys, and launch into a rivals’ duet singing the easily-forgotten lyrics to Baby It’s Cold Outside. Loosely woven through it all is the chaos that ensues when two friends decide to adopt a dog – subsequently dubbed ‘twat dog’, over the Christmas period.
Despite their proclamations, SCRAPS: Christmas Leftovers is an incredibly entertaining – and genuinely festive – show, produced with wit, precision, and gloriously wild humour by its talented trio. And how refreshing to be turned out into the night thinking not of what Christmas ‘should’ be, but of what it so often is, in all its grey, rainy, uniquely mishap-laden glory. My only criticism is that it’s not having a longer run.
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Follow @scrapstheshow for news about future shows.
All photos: James Davies
Read next:
- Bristol’s best Christmas shows 2025
- Daisy Kennedy and Mia Macleod are back with ‘SCRAPS: Christmas Leftovers’
- Review: SCRAPS, Tobacco Factory Theatres – ‘An impressive and exciting debut’
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