REVIEW | 21 Round For Christmas, Park Theatre

Reviews

12 Dec

`21 Round For Christmas - Photo by Cam Harle Photos`

Written by Becky

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for a review

Please be aware this show includes very strong language and strobe lighting.

21 Round For Christmas is an outstanding one-woman show starring Cathy Conneff and written by Toby Hampton and Matt Ballantyne. During the 2020 lockdown period, Toby was tasked with writing a Christmas special for a series he had created during covid called Hope@Home, a short series of monologues, each set in a different room around someone’s home. From this the character Tracy was born, and now she’s come to the Park Theatre to bring everyone some festive cheer!

Imagine you’ve got 21 family members round for Christmas dinner. One won’t eat turkey, the one insists there has to be some. They don’t like carrots, they don’t like sprouts; he’s on a diet, she’s gone keto; he’s gluten-free, she can’t eat dairy and her mother-in-law has gone vegan. Cathy Conneff brings out the utterly outrageous inner dialogue in all of us on Christmas Day and is fabulous at doing so! Everyone knows a Tracy, the life of the party, the jokester, the one that wants to make sure everyone’s having a good time. She’s someone’s Mum, Auntie or Sister. Conneff’s delivery in this one-woman production is so engaging. We follow her through many a daydream in her kitchen, and we want to know every second of her life, the good, the bad and the damn right ugly.

The set within the Park Theatre was the perfect choice for this show. It was cosy, intimate and well themed. It felt as if you were sitting at the dinner table during the festive season listening to one of your Aunts vent on about one of her long lost loves. Lighting (Alex Forey) was cleverly used as well to reflect periods and settings. Sound design (Emily Rose Simons) was used for excellent comedic effect and added to the fun.

Audience participation made for some great improvisation moments, which Cathy dealt with incredibly well and got if not the most laughs during the show's 65-minute run. No prop was left untouched, and every little random utensil had a purpose which I found very entertaining, especially with there only being one cast member having to remember to use each prop at the right time, to great effect.

With the mention of the great comedic timing, however, there also comes a show with a huge heart alongside some really emotional moments for the lead character. We take a heartfelt journey with Tracy, which involves heartbreak and a rough start to her life. A lot of the comedy is almost a front for her to cover up some of her inner demons that she’s tried to suppress for a long time. We all argue with our families and have things we aren’t always content with, but the character of Tracy has an exceptional way of relating to every one of us, especially with the reality of how tough Christmas can be for some of us. The loveliest theme that ran through was the story of Tracy’s relationship with her best friend. Without going into too much detail to spoil the story, this was something I could relate to on a personal level and how important friends are to you at this time of year.

21 Round for Christmas is playing at the Park Theatre until the 23rd of December alongside some audio describes and BSL interpreted performances.