Christmas Carol Goes Wrong brings festive chaos to Norwich
A West End comedy favourite is set to bring its gleefully bungled festive production to Norwich Theatre Royal. Christmas Carol Goes Wrong will play from November 3 to 7 as part of a UK tour, offering audiences a disastrous Dickens retelling packed with missed cues, warring performers and increasingly unreliable scenery.
Key takeaways
Christmas Carol Goes Wrong comes to Norwich Theatre Royal from November 3 to 7.
The production is the latest show from the team behind The Play That Goes Wrong.
The story follows the accident-prone Cornley Amateur Drama Society tackling A Christmas Carol.
The touring cast includes Dave Hearn, James Akka, Adam Elliott and Matthew Howell.
For fans of live comedy, the appeal is immediate: this is a familiar festive story deliberately sent off the rails. Much like the best stand-up nights at Comedy in Your Eye, the fun comes from watching talented performers commit fully to a shared live experience—although here, the surprises are written into the breakdown of the show.
A festive classic goes badly wrong
Christmas Carol Goes Wrong reimagines Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol through the eyes of the Cornley Amateur Drama Society. The fictional company is determined to stage a serious production, but its performers struggle with script cues, rivalries and a set that appears to have plans of its own.
The result is a comic take on a familiar Christmas tradition, with the cast attempting to keep the story moving as technical problems and misunderstandings pile up. Its connection to The Play That Goes Wrong places physical comedy, theatrical mishaps and escalating confusion at the heart of the evening.
Norwich dates and touring production
The Norwich run is scheduled for November 3 to 7 at Norwich Theatre Royal. It forms part of a wider touring production that is also planned to reach the West End and international audiences, including performances in Los Angeles and Australia.
Producer Kenny Wax has described the arrival of a new cast as a nerve-racking prospect, with the fictional Cornley players competing for the role of Scrooge while ignoring instructions and disrupting the set. The production’s deliberately unruly style is designed to make every performance feel like a precarious theatrical rescue mission.
The cast taking on Cornley’s disasters
The UK touring cast features James Akka as Dennis, Adam Elliott as Chris, original Mischief member Dave Hearn as Max and Matthew Howell as Robert. Their characters form part of the company attempting to deliver the festive classic despite mounting obstacles.
For audiences who enjoy professional comedy in relaxed, welcoming settings, the show offers a different kind of live energy from an intimate club night. Comedy in Your Eye’s Camden audiences may be used to discovering high-calibre performers in a positive, inclusive space; in Norwich, the laughs will come from seeing an ensemble turn theatrical failure into the main event.
What audiences can expect
The production promises a lively night of visual gags, comic timing and deliberately unstable stagecraft rather than a traditional, polished Dickens adaptation. It is aimed at anyone looking for festive entertainment with a generous dose of silliness—and at theatregoers who enjoy seeing performers respond to disaster with determination.
With its blend of recognisable Christmas storytelling and escalating stage mayhem, Christmas Carol Goes Wrong is set to offer Norwich audiences a spirited alternative to more conventional seasonal productions.
Further reading
Christmas Carol Goes Wrong coming to Norwich Theatre Royal, Eastern Daily Press.