Inside No.9: The Devil of Christmas

Forget the turkey dinner and Christmas pud. The genius of Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton is enough to leave you salivating this Christmas. The festive special for their darkly humorous Inside No.9 series is a cracker of a show. Entitled ‘The Devil of Christmas’, it is a note-perfect pastiche of ’70s television, with a fairly standard ghost story to boot. There is nothing standard about Shearsmith and Pemberton’s approach however. Using multiple 16mm cameras to film, and the inclusion of delayed scene starts and fluffed lines, brings an authenticity that could see it mistaken for an episode of the ATV soap Crossroads. Call the Midwife‘s Jessica Raine is perfectly cast alongside Pemberton, playing a couple whose received pronunciation was straight out of the Reithian guide to acting. They have come on holiday to a ski lodge with their mother (played by Rula Lenska) and son Toby. But their jolly outing doesn’t last long as the caretaker (expertly played by Shearsmith) tells the story of how the “Krampus” (the “devil” of the title) comes to take bad children away in the night. What follows is a plot with more twists than a candy cane, and which builds suspense with the aid of screeching violins. It is a complete hoot, with the voice of Derek Jacobi providing a “Director’s Commentary” that compliments the action on screen brilliantly. All these ingredients mix together perfectly to make an incredibly satisfying cake. Yet it is the icing on the top, the most unexpected final scenes, that truly make this a quality piece of television. I would even go as far as to say it’s the best episode yet. Deliciously scrumptious, it will certainly leave you wanting another slice.

Featured Image (C) BBC

Aladdin – Venue Cymru

Prepare yourself for a festive treat at Venue Cymru. Aladdin is a Christmas cracker of a pantomime. We are talking high-end, top-of-the-range crackers as well, with decent jokes and quality surprises to boot. I can’t pretend that this was expected either. After last year’s production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – which was most certainly Poundland material – I was gearing up for an excruciating couple of hours. Yet how pleasantly surprised I was. With stunning scenery and some spectacular set-pieces, the production team have certainly pulled out all the stops. Add to this a fantastically well-gelled cast and you are most certainly on to a winner.

This is a panto steeped in tradition. There are plenty of boos and hisses for the villain. Lots of sparkle surrounds the fairy and the princess. There is also the eponymous dame, Andy Jones making a wonderfully hilarious Widow Twankey. Yet there is also plenty of creativity and ingenuity in this show. The special effects, in particular, lift this pantomime from standard, end-of-the-pier fare to breathtakingly good theatre. The carpet scene really is magic. There’s a truly terrifying appearance by a giant cobra. Even the elephant, taking on the renowned role of the pantomime horse, adds a comic touch of quality, albeit with realistic excrement left all over the stage.

It feels refreshing to congratulate not only the set designers but also the cast too. There was a genuine feeling that they were seasoned veterans, having done this panto lark together for years. Credit must go to Llandudno favourite John Evans in particular. Twelve months ago, I felt he overshadowed the rest of the cast; it was more like John Evans and Friends than a scripted performance. Here, however, his introductory stand-up routine was much shorter, fitting into the organic flow of the story and making him much more believable as the hapless Wishee Washee. Together with Luke Higgins’ groin-thrusting Aladdin, Andy Jones’ Twankey, and Welsh rugby legend Gareth Thomas as Genie, they help celebrate Evans’ tenth anniversary at Venue Cymru by providing laughs aplenty. In particular, there is an unforgettable rendition of Twelve Days of Christmas that will have you bowled over in tears of laughter.

Aladdin is a fizzling smorgasbord of colourful choreography, lively songs, and rib-tickling hilarity. If there is one trip you make over the Christmas period, make sure you set your sat-nav to Venue Cymru for a tasty treat.

Originally created as part of Venue Cymru’s Young Critics scheme.

The Shires – My Universe Tour

The UK’s top country music act The Shires paid a visit to Venue Cymru with a fantastic set as part of their My Universe tour. With a packed audience of Welsh country music fans eager to hear their latest material, Ben and Chrissie (along with their band) certainly gave them an unforgettable night. Opening with a set by US vocalist Canaan Smith, whose acoustic performance was full of emotional promise, it was perfectly weighted to prepare the audience for the main event. He was the chalk to The Shires’ cheese. With a No.1 track already on the other side of the Atlantic, he is certainly one to watch for in future. Now though it was The Shires taking centre stage, beginning with one of their best-known singles Nashville (Grey Skies). This eternally-inspiring, feel-good number was the perfect opener for a night that ebbed and flowed between blood-pumping rock and heart-stopping ballads. Of particular note was Chrissie’s performance of Daddy’s Little Girl – a moment to take your breath away – and their soulful rendition of Robbie Williams’ Angels, which they had recently performed, to popular acclaim, on Radio 2 in front of the man himself. The night ended with a spine-tingling ad-lib from the audience, setting the scene perfectly for an encore of the nostalgia-soaked Other People’s Things and their immersive gospel song A Thousand Hallelujahs. For anyone who has not yet caught fire from the rising flames of country music in the UK, The Shires are the perfect place to start. This was Christmas come early for many of their fans. A truly brilliant night.