What have an elf collector, an internet troll, a streaker, and a Nirvana fan got in common? They all hate Christmas. Four complete strangers whose personalities are worlds apart begin their story in 1999 by spending a chance Christmas together, the time of year they all dislike the most, only to discover they all want to spend the next 20 Christmases together.
The Bah Humbug Club is directed for the Lichfield Garrick by Nicky Cox from the Royal Shakespeare Company, and has an all-star cast with Erin Geraghty as Pauline, Rosie Coles as Jane, Danny Horn as Fred, Beck Greig as Andy.
Dr Carolyn Scott-Jeffs practice as research encompasses dramaturgy and writing for radio, TV and theatre, particularly comedy. Her other research includes journal articles on women radio pioneers.
The play forms part of her practice as research into older women in comedy and Carolyn explains that:
“My ‘Funny Old Ladies’ research builds on ‘Voice, Personality, and Grandma’ an article I wrote for the Comedy Studies journal, about pioneer radio writer, actor, and comedian, Mabel Constanduros. She created one of the earliest sitcoms with her Buggins Family series. Her character, Grandma Buggins, was a prototype ‘Funny Old Lady’, in accordance with Pirandello’s ‘theory of the opposite’.
In other words, she was funny because she didn’t behave in ways expected of an old lady. I have used this theory to create my character Pauline in The Bah Humbug Club. She is a deeply flawed protagonist who subverts the expectations of what a mother and grandmother should be like.”
The Bah Humbug Club is running at the Litchfield Garrick Studio from the 8th-27th December and tickets can be purchased via the Lichfield Garrick website.