On The Table Read Magazine, “the best arts and entertainment magazine UK“, join cult sketch duo Mr Thing for The Christmas Thing—a chaotic, nostalgic multimedia comedy transforming Seven Dials Playhouse into a live TV special packed with games, guests, and festive mayhem.
Beloved cult sketch duo Mr Thing brings their festive multimedia comedy back to the stage with The Christmas Thing, running at Seven Dials Playhouse from 2nd to 20th December 2025. This chaotic and joyful production blends live performance with television-inspired mayhem, promising an unpredictable holiday experience.
The Christmas Thing
Part live variety show and part chaotic TV special, The Christmas Thing transforms the theatre into a makeshift broadcast studio. Complete with live cameras, video sketches, music, games, surprise guests, and plenty of technical hijinks, the show sweeps audiences into on-air mischief. Remote-controlled cameras roam the space, cables criss-cross the stage, and the audience becomes the live studio crowd for a nightly Christmas special full of variety-show antics.
The production channels the spirit of Morecambe & Wise, the energy of The Muppet Show, the chaos of Noel’s House Party, the whimsy of Taskmaster, and the glorious stupidity of Shooting Stars—all captured on live cameras broadcasting to nowhere. Created and performed by long-time collaborators Tom Clarkson and Owen Visser, it draws inspiration from the Christmas television specials of years gone by, blending finely tuned craft with gleeful anarchy.
Having built a cult following over multiple acclaimed runs at the Edinburgh Fringe, duo Tom Clarkson and Owen Visser return their multimedia festive spectacular to Seven Dials Playhouse for Christmas 2025. Following a 2024 London run that drew glowing reviews, this presentation by Seven Dials Playhouse and Mr Thing in association with InterTalent Comedy brings back the bedlam with new surprises.
Childhood Rapport and Real-Time Mayhem
Tom and Owen have been making each other—and audiences—laugh since childhood, fueling the easy, off-the-cuff rapport that defines the show. The stage becomes a hub of mischief where props conspire against their owners, gadgets misbehave, drumming robots appear, and Christmas games unfold. What sets it apart is the fusion of precision and chaos, building a full-blown Christmas television special in real time with the audience drafted into the action.
Combining a streak of nostalgia with gleeful slapstick and a generous dose of Christmas cheer, the show echoes the unruly energy of a family gathering. It offers a seasonal night out wilder than the standard Christmas Carol, delivering a distinctly different and delightful kind of holiday entertainment. Growing up, the duo loved the magic and mayhem of Christmas TV specials, gameshows, singalongs, cameos, and surprise knock-at-the-door guests—elements they recreate with a stocking full of new games, jingles, and guests.
Venue and Creative Vision
Seven Dials Playhouse welcomes back the production, highlighting its joyful chaos of Christmas television and the thrill of live performance. The venue champions bold, genre-blurring work in the heart of London’s West End.
Creative Team
- Writers / Directors / Co-hosts: Tom Clarkson & Owen Visser
- Producer: Emma Chisholm
- Additional Material: Dan Clarkson
- Featuring: Mustafa Yasin
- Production Manager: Joe Fathers
- Musical Director: Andy Chisholm
- Composer: Jack Garratt
- Video Designer: Gus Melton
- Lighting Designer: Bob Visser
About Seven Dials Playhouse
Seven Dials Playhouse serves as a creative hub for theatre makers and performers at all stages of their careers. It provides rehearsal space, artist development programmes, and curated performance opportunities, championing innovation and excellence in live performance.
Find The Christmas Thing now:
The Christmas Thing
Tuesday 2nd December – Saturday 20th December 2025
Venue: Seven Dials Playhouse
Show time: 7.30pm
Running time: 1 hour 55 minutes with interval
Ticket Link: www.sevendialsplayhouse.co.uk/shows/the-christmas-thing
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jjbarnes@sirenstories.co.uk
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