Theatre

You may have thought the Old Vic was off the cultural map for the foreseeable – but quietly, almost rebelliously, a dramatic heart is still beating within.

The studio space has been temporarily reopened to allow the future lifeblood of theatre a chance to tread the soon-to-be refurbished boards.

It seemed rather apt that the Old Vic students should choose to perform several excerpts of Dickens’ Christmas Carol with the rather eerie Ghost of Old Vic Past all around.

However, any paranormal fears were soon melted away by this – the closest you will get in theatrical revue to a warming glass of mulled wine and a plump mince pie.

Lashings of Christmas Cheer

Slickly produced and lovingly performed, Crackers and Spice is the perfect aperitif for the Christmas season. The sketches and songs came thick and fast, seamlessly gliding in to each other.

Dressed in dickie bows and ballroom gowns with just a starlit sky for background, one fancied this might simply be a night of crooning classics. Not so. When the excellent cast of seven did break into the songs shoppers will already have heard countless times, such tunes as White Christmas and Let It Snow were cut blissfully short by a spot of seasonal comedy.

Amongst the old favourites – Betjeman’s tribute to present-giving ("hideous ties so kindly meant"), Pam Ayres’ take on the daily worship at St. Tescos and a Willy Russell piece on the Nativity innkeeper who decided he had room after all – there was also some sparkling new stuff.

Repugnant Round Robins

With apologies to Rodgers and Hammerstein, director Malcolm McKee scripted a few of his Christmas “Un-favourite Things” for the festive season. Singing nuns and giblets in plastic topped a bill that was reeled off by a pat-a-caking cast in marigolds.

The unforgivable Round Robin Christmas card was neatly dissected, written on this occasion by a pompous couple with a penchant for trumpeting the talents of their high-flying children to nauseating extremes.

Perhaps the most amusing sketch came in the form of the one-sided conversation “Peter Patter” where the eponymous hero is talked at by a half-cut woman who has mistaken him for someone else. Penned in 1956 when revue ruled the stage, this was a deserved revival and made the soppy close-harmony number which ended on the inevitable words "…because of you" forgivable.

With such high standards of singing and acting by all seven performers it would be unfair to single anyone out. So, rather unfairly, Adrian Grove and Philippa Howard were my contenders for the iced decorations on this delicious Christmas cake.

Crackers and Spice captured the lighter and darker sides to the whole seasonal shebang beautifully. If this doesn’t get you in the festive spirit, you’re more Scrooge than Ebeneezer.