It’s pretty much a full house tonight for the opening of the festive season’s comedy show A Christchurch Carol at Little Andromeda. Written by Gregory Cooper and directed by Dan Bain, this rendition of the Charles Dickens classic stars three well-known, excellent local actors: James Kupa, Tom Eason and Reylene-Rose Hilaga. Given its pedigree, it’s fair to say I am expecting clever lines, punchy delivery and sheer brilliance on stage. That’s not asking too much from Comedy Santa, surely?

Like a child who has been on the ‘good’ list all year, I’m not disappointed. This show is hilarious.

You know the outline, of course – the ghosts, the evil Scrooge, the sweet but sickly Tiny Tim – only this time we are not in London anymore. Welcome to Cambridge Terrace, in one of the city’s Dirty Thirty (the earthquake-damaged buildings that should have been pulled down by now, but still stink up the city like decaying teeth in an otherwise sensational smile).

It is both a trip down memory lane and totally current, as to be expected from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Be. Under Bain’s direction, the three actors complement each other’s styles superbly: Kupa’s mobile facial features and intense presence, Hilaga’s perfectly on-point vocal inflections and eyebrow raises, and Eason’s often deadpan delivery (even when naked except for a be-ribboned box). All work perfectly together, like a Christmas figgy pudding, custard and cracker combo.

As they take us back to the Christchurch of yesteryear, I laugh out loud at the references that bring back memories, and to the situations we are currently living through – the dried ice of the Palladium (or rather, the “let’s-get-laid-ium”), the ongoing Christchurch suburban class rivalry, the unaffordability of dairy and its consequent bone-cracking consequences. Local personalities pop up throughout the story as we are treated to everything from a Santa with prostate exam-ready digits to highly mimicable dance moves.

The music, under direction of Michael Bell, includes several songs including a singalong of ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ – delivered under the very real threat (for non-participants) of being hauled on stage – and Men Without Hats’ ‘Safety Dance’ (I fear I will hear the echoes of this song long after this show is over, and I know I will be using some of the dance moves😉).

Lighting by James Shera adds the right mix of drama and melodrama to the proceedings and the costumes are suitably versatile, unsubtle and laughable in their own right.

As ‘Big Swinging Dickens’ himself once said, “There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour” – and there is much of both to be had in the theatre tonight.

Please sir, can I have some more?

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