Janice’s Last Christmas is the Christmas office party you have all been waiting for, packed full of gossip, drama and a few surprises. The PopRox team deliver a sharp, spirited show that blends structure with snappy improvisation and some excellent comedic timing.

The experience begins before you even enter the performance space. Janice (Dylan Hutton) greets the audience outside with name tags and the ominous promise of “organised fun.” Once inside, the performers are already mingling, setting the tone for an evening of immersive, character-driven comedy. The audience is primed from the outset to play along.

The set is simple: fairy lights, a desk, a piano, an uninspiring food and drink table, a Christmas tree, and the centrepiece, Janice’s to-the-minute schedule displayed on a whiteboard. Once the audience has settled in, Janice seizes control, proudly announcing that this Christmas party is her grand farewell before retirement. Her character is uncannily familiar, equal parts terrifying and hilarious, and instantly recognisable to anyone who’s worked in an office.

We meet the rest of the ensemble through Janice’s “awards ceremony,” which cleverly sketches out the cast of characters: Shazza (Mo Munn), Ruth (Millie Osborne), Reggie (Austin Harrison), Catherine (Lia Kelly), and Norris (Matt Hutton), whose piano accompaniment becomes the backing track for the night. Their interactions feel authentic, capturing the awkwardness, alliances and unspoken tensions of a real office party.

When Janice exits, the night unravels. Chaos erupts, hilarious dysfunction ensues, as well as the introduction of one further unexpected character, Bruce (Dylan Hutton). As the schedule derails, Catherine tries to steer things back on track, though not before various entanglements develop: Ruth and Reggie sneak off for a one-night stand, Catherine and the devout Norris contemplate an unexpected ‘third’, courtesy of Shazza’s not-so-gentle encouragement, and Bruce does his best to charm everyone in sight. The laughter is constant.

Audience participation is woven in with ease. Each show features audience-generated prompts. In this performance, the fictitious company sold ‘pens’, and an audience member is employed to keep the evening running to schedule. The performers swoop on suggestions effortlessly, spinning them into spontaneous storylines.

The improv work is a genuine highlight. Two standout moments include a split-stage sequence where one character’s final line becomes another’s opening, and a final guessing game where a performer must decipher mystery prompts from the audience. Both are integrated seamlessly into the narrative. While occasional overlaps in dialogue are inevitable with improv, the cast’s strong ensemble chemistry is clear; they listen, support and build on each other’s ideas with generosity.

Janice’s Last Christmas is already a riot, and it will only sharpen as the run continues. It captures everything we love (and dread) about office Christmas parties, delivering it with wit and chaos.

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