Christmas Carol Goes Wrong, UK Tour Review (2026)
Christmas Carol Goes Wrong production image. Photo by Matt Crockett
Written by Liam Lambie for Theatre and Tonic
Glasgow gets a festive dose of chaos as A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong crashes into the city on its penultimate stop of the tour and while it’s not quite top-tier Mischief, it’s still a hilarious and enjoyable night out.
The Cornley Drama Society are back, confidently attempting Dickens’ classic with predictably disastrous results. As ever, the joy comes from watching everything unravel in spectacular fashion. The escalating mishaps are tightly choreographed and impressively executed, even if the pacing dips slightly in a few moments.
The cast , including original Mischief members , are consistently excellent, with no weak links. Daniel Fraser’s self-important Chris Bean battles valiantly to keep the show on track, while Matt Cavendish seamlessly juggles multiple roles with boundless energy. Chris Leask’s scene-stealing Trevor delivers perfectly timed interruptions and the perfect Scottish accent in the non-speaking role of the ghost of Christmas yet to come, and Jonathan Sayer’s ever forgetful Dennis remains a firm audience favourite and for good reason.
Visually, the production is polished and ambitious. The Victorian-inspired set and costumes look far more lavish than Cornley should realistically manage, which I suppose is part of the joke, and the lighting and sound design keep the chaos sharp and slick throughout.
And although not every joke lands, the strong central story keeps the show moving, and when the comedy does hit, it hits hard.
This production is festive, frantic, and full of the signature Mischief mayhem that fans have come to know and love. It’s the kind of show that has you still chuckling about your favourite moments all the way home.
Christmas Carol Goes Wrong tours the UK until 1 March 2026
★★★★
