Review of Tom Clarkson and Owen Visser festive London residency

There’s a lot of festive good cheer in Mr Thing’s knockabout version of the old-school TV Christmas variety special. But also, without wanting to sound too Grinch-like, some flaws that need attention – especially considering this is the second year the cult multimedia comedy duo have enjoyed a December residency at London’s Seven Dials Playhouse.

Tom Clarkson and Owen Visser earned their stripes as a late-night Fringe offering, roping in comedy chums to join in the anarchic fun. But in London they have to fill almost two hours of primetime with only audience volunteers as patsies. They’re a game lot tonight, showing off their party skills from gargling the National Anthem to crying like a baby or doing the splits. One chap recruited as a cameraman becomes so much part of the show he could probably demand Equity rates.

Clarkson, who acts as host, has oodles of silly charm, with generous people skills and the right blend of authority and stupidity, happy to lean into the corniest puns. This is the duo’s forte, especially when it comes to musical wordplay, with plenty of jaunty jingles based on convoluted reinterpretations of hit songs.

There’s plenty going on – too much, it could well be argued – including musical parodies, a narrative involving the evil Krampus wanting to steal the spirit of Christmas and some impressive video segments. On screen, Peter Serafinowicz serves up some typically sterling character work as Hollywood legend Frankie Spangles, Mr Thing’s furry sidekick Puppet Steve makes several appearances, and there are numerous cameos from the likes of Emma Corrin and Mo Gilligan.

Their tech – operated by Visser, although he’s way more than a button-pusher – is impressive, from a robot drum kit, perfect for those rimshots to accompany corny gags, to a multi-camera setup relaying all the action to us, the studio audience in a TV show no one’s going to see.

Almost every element is fun, but Clarkson and Visser have a habit of putting business ahead of gags, even though they prove themselves to be very good at gags. There’s just a bit too much laid at the feet of the audience volunteers, great as they are, while the advancement of so many strands means the more anarchic elements are reined back. The fact the shenanigans have to sustain a full evening, not just a brisk hour, also contributes to that.

This sense of overstuffing the show with process over punchlines reaches its peak in a convoluted section in which the punter must guess which festive song is being acted out, based on an AI interpretation of the lyrics. It’s basically the Sound Charades round of I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue but with more faff and fewer jokes.

But all said, this Noel’s House Party for the YouTube generation engenders a lot of goodwill, with Clarkson and Visser getting the audience into the festive spirit, willing to sing and clap along to the songs and root for those drawn up on stage. They build a coherent community for the night, united in letting their hair down for a while.

• The Christmas Thing is on at Seven Dials Playhouse until December 20.

Review date: 4 Dec 2025
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Seven Dials Playhouse