Theatre / Reviews
Review: The Crick Crack Christmas Carols Show, The Mount Without – ‘Festive and fabulous: the place to ring in a season of magic’
An epic evening of festive joy, the Crick Crack Christmas Carols Show adorned the ethereal restored church of The Mount Without for a night of carols, storytelling and laughter. Nowhere does Christmas more merrily then here: we are treated to the sharing of classic folklore tales and songs, ringing in the season for reflection, benevolence and above all – a sense of magic.
Welcomed by the sight of mulled wine and mince pies, The Mount Without was undoubtedly fabulous in its festive attire of Christmas trees and twinkling lights, creating a celebratory atmosphere safely ensconced from the dark and frosty night outside. The crowd certainly stuck to theme too, decked out in Christmas jumpers and tinsel-ed accessories.
Thankfully, the performers were no less sparkling. Their promise of “disorders of service, chaotic sing-alongside, and Christmas tree shrines” was definitely fulfilled in this Crick Crack Club hour. Despite the fairly formal seating – in line with a regular carol service, perhaps, hosts Ben Haggarty, Tim Ralphs and Steph Brittain encouraged with open arms the freedom to express all festive cheer in a sort of pantomime-esque fashion.
And so we found ourselves booing at the presence of devils and witchcraft, emitting sympathetic sighs for lost love and of course, cheering in the inevitably happy endings. A little hesitant at first, the audience soon settled into these cosy stories with pure childlike wonder.
It’s a testament to the talent of these three narrators that they can craft entire fairytales simply from the power of spoken word, each line reverberating from wall to wall of the grand church with such compassion. You could hear a pin drop when these orators took a second to breathe, with all eyes focused on their talk of riches, blue deer, demons and princesses.
Crick Crack Club Carols, The Mount Without – photo: Poppy Beresford
It must be noted that at times, the seating arrangement and sound system did take us out of the magic: the storytellers’ words were occasionally lost in the sheer size of The Mount Without, and without the power of multiple speakers throughout the audience, it was sometimes hard to hear parts of these stories, especially during changes in pace, volume and tone. Further, the seating was not raked and the stage was relatively low-set, so sight lines were definitely obstructed for those at the back of the audience.
Certain elements of the night effected a much more modern and nuanced approach to a carol service, not least the addition of a two-piece band of guitar and sitar which underscored the tales, and musical references to Feliz Navidad and ABBA which encouraged a hearty chuckle from all. The accompanying music added depth to the mystical, festive atmosphere which made the event all the more endearing.
As for the carols themselves? They were full to bursting with encouraging cheer, and we left with the sound of both successful (and less-so) harmonising, high notes and melodies ringing in our ears.
The Crick Crack Club Christmas Carols Show was nothing short of festively fabulous: void of scrooges and bah-humbugs, and gloriously heavy on the dancing, laughter and fun. It was the ideal place to bask in the season of warmth and magic with friends and loved ones.
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Visit www.crickcrackclub.com or follow @crickcrackclub to keep updated about future shows.
Main photo: Poppy Beresford
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