Crazy Christmas 2016
Shakin' Up Sherwood
A theme full of what has made Britain great over the centuries… including the green english countryside, cream teas, warm beer, fish and chips, draughty medieval castles with no plumbing, and above all the kind of british hero who fearlessly and somewhat recklessly, fights, not only the nasty foreigners who try to invade our shores and the odd evil despot, but also the toughest foe of all - the english climate.
The theme includes of course Robin Hood and his Manly Men, but also a pure english virgin or two (although finding two is unlikely) and her loveable down-to-earth nurse.
What title could possibly cover all this?
You’ve probably guessed…
The 2016 CCC will be…
"SHAKIN' UP SHERWOOD"
Starring lot's of Crazy LTT actors and a merry band of Toastie musicians.
Playing in Glassalen, Tivoli
Nov 5th 2016 - Jan 12th 2017
and
Hermans, Tivoli Friheden, Aarhus
Jan 17th - 21th 2017
A word from the writer/director
- Vivienne McKee
It is a challenge every year for me to find a topic to write about for the Crazy Christmas and over the last 3 decades I have covered most of the best known like Dracula and Tarzan - and some of the most obscure, like Nefertiti and Hitchcock.
So what on earth should I write about in the year 2016 ?
The outlaw ROBIN HOOD has always been one of my favourite heroes. Not only was he a handsome rebel who helped the poor, but he was so cool to live in a forest with a band of men who were, for some unknown reason, always merry ! His enemy was also one of my favourite villains - the Sheriff of Nottingham. A nasty guy who lived in rich splendour whilst he persecuted the peasants. He suddenly made me think of the billionaire businessman, Donald Trump ! A man who I am sure would be happy to cut down all the trees in Sherwood to make way for a golf course and an amusement park. Thus the seed was sown for this year’s show.
When I wrote the script for “Shakin’ Up Sherwood“ (and even as I write this now), I do not know if Trump will win the US presidential election, but I would like to thank him for providing me with the nastiest and most tasteless comments that I could never have invented for the role of The Sheriff.
So be ready to shout a big BOO for Sheriff Ronald Rump and HOORAY for Robin and enjoy lots of post-presidential festive fun with all of us in Sherwood Forest.
Gallery
Costumes
Video
Review
PRODUCTION TEAM
Vivienne McKee - DIRECTOR
Vivienne is the founder of London Toast Theatre, and she writes and directs the Crazy Christmas every year. She has also written and appeared in Danish TV and theatre shows , including “Langt fra Las Vegas” and “Ørnen”. She adds the voices to documentaries and commercials, including the informative English voice on Danish trains and Agent’s 47’s smooth-talking boss in the international computer game “Hitman”. She regularly performs Stand Up comedy for international companies and last year did her show, “Killing the Danes” in Copen-hagen & London. After digging up Nefertiti in Egypt last year, this year she wants you to shake up Sherwood where Robin Hood and his merry band of immigrants are rebelling against Ronald Rump. So get ready to shout HOORAY for Robin and BOO for the Sheriff!
www.londontoast.dk/vivienne-mckee
Kirsten Brink - SET & COSTUME DESIGNER
This is Kirsten’s 29th CCC show - a record in theatre history for a director/designer
team. Her inventive CCC costumes and sets are now being exhibited at Teater-
museet at Hofteatret. Kirsten graduated from Kolding Kunsthåndværkerskole in
1982 as a set and costume designer and began working with Vivienne in 1988.
She has designed for many other theatre companies including Folketeatret, Vend-
syssel Teater and “Hjørring Revy”. The next Kirsten Brink set designs can be seen
in “Citysingler”, ”Livet” på Folketeatret, “Hjørringrevyen” and in “Zirkus Nemo”
next summer.
Peter Friis - CHOREOGRAPHER
Peter is again Shaking up dance moves for this years Crazy Christmas Cabaret. It’s full gallop into various dance styles. When he is not riding around Sherwood he has been choreographing “Hodja Fra Pjort” on Folketeatret, “Spamalot” at Odense theatre and a Strauss Opera in Lyon. Peter wishes you a fun night - HOORAY!
www.peterfriis.dk
CAST
Andrew Jeffers
Andrew has been an actor for over 20 years, and has enjoyed dressing up in the elaborate costumes as Vivienne’s “Dame” in no less than 19 CCCs. He appeared in various British TV soaps, plays and musicals before moving permanently to Copenhagen. Now he is a voice-over speaker for commercials and documentaries. Andrew has had a busy year playing Polonius at Kronborg Castle, and his first Danish film, “Den Bedste Mand” playing an English boxing promoter. This year he is playing a member of the clergy, and of course the Dame, who ends up in the forest playing with the Merry Men. She loves men in tights.
www.andrewjeffers.dk
David Bateson
David has been a member of Vivienne McKee’s Merry Men since the 12th Century - or for longer than he can remember! In this year’s show, he will merrily climb into William Von Tell and King Richard the Lion Heart’s tights as well as give the Swedish Cook a jolly good stuffing! However, in keeping with the bad taste of these puns, he will also be slipping into Ronald Rump, this year’s truly deserving villain… When not having too much fun in a Crazy Christmas Show, David is to be found in sound studios in Copenhagen, recording everything from Somersby Cider commercials to voicing Agent 47 in the world famous computer game franchise, Hitman.
www.davidbateson.dk
Bennet Thorpe
Bennet loves performing with the CCC team. He went to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School at the age of 23. Upon graduating he worked in television, and played the leading role in the popular kid’s TV series “Captain Mack”. Vivienne spotted him and he became a regular performer in the Crazy Christmas Cabaret , finally making Denmark his home. This year he has also performed at the Bådteatret with “Why Not Theatre” and at Teatret Ved Sorte Heste as Christopher Marlowe In McKee’s play “Shakespeare’s Ghost” and at Kronborg Castle celebrating Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary.
www.youtube.com
Katrine Falkenberg
Katrine trained at the Royal Academy of Music in London in 2003. It’s her 9th show with the Crazy team of English nutters, and she’s going nuts herself if she’s not on stage with them. Katrine has appeared in many musicals, shows and bands since 1995. She is also a voiceover artist and singer appearing in various cartoons and live action movies, commercials, documentaries, both in Danish and English. She played a part in “Dicte III” 2016 . Over the last few years Katrine has worked intensely on her jazz record “I De Små Timer”, so if you like poetic and quiet jazz she is thrilled to reveal that it will be released in Feb 2017. BUY IT, go on!! In last years show Katrine played Fanny Golightly, so this year Katrine is excited to show of her “strong” and “clever” acting skills playing Lady Marion.
www.katrinefalkenberg.dk
Jefferson Bond
Jefferson graduated from East 15 Acting School with a first class honours degree in Acting and Physical Theatre. Since leaving drama school he has toured internationally, appeared in films and at fringe festivals. Recently he has played Benedick in Madcaps Theatre’s acclaimed production of “Much Ado About Nothing”, and Max in The Blue Orange Theatre’s production of Hitchcock’s “Dial M for Murder”. Jefferson is overjoyed to be joining the crazy cast at London Toast and to be slipping into the tights (not in that way!) of the dashing Robin Hood. This is Jefferson’s first CCC and with evil sheriff’s, sword fights and a damsel in distress he just hopes to make his heroics a bullseye rather than a near miss!
www.spotlight.com
Christopher Smart
Christopher graduated from Birmingham School of Acting in 2010. He is an associate artist with The Pantaloons Theatre company in the U.K. Credits for The Pantaloons include “Gulliver’s Travels”, “Macbeth”, “Pride and Prejudice”, “Bleak House ”and “A Midsummer Nights Dream”. Chris’s other credits include “The Marriage of Wit” and “Wisdom” at Shakespeare’s Globe and “We’re going on a Bear Hunt” with Kenny Wax Productions. He is an actor/musician, playing the accordion, banjo, guitar, mandolin and the ukulele.
Claus de Licthenberg
Claus trained as a musical performer at The Danish National School of Performing Arts. He has performed in several shows and this year it is his sixth Crazy Christmas. Since 2010 he has been working as a stagemanager on the CCC as well as being in it! Vivienne loves to use his skills both onstage and offstage. During the years he has been multi-tasking as three different slaves, two centurions, a guard, a Roman scribe, a Colosseum cleaner, a pirate and Conchita Wurst. His skills even cover dying in various ways! Will Vivienne kill him again this year? Well see for yourselves!
Stuart Goodstein
The Crazy Christmas Musical Director is thrilled to take you into the woods ! As this year‘s bard he is excited to lead the way! When he is not wearing tights and and plundering with his band of outlaw musicians, Stuart scores international
tv-commercials, and is the Musical Director for the awarded “Revy Perler”, and musical producer of many of Tivoli’s Halloween shows. Stuart knows how to shoot straight - in major or minor.
www.gtone.dk
Søren B. Petersen
Søren - also known as Bom-Bom - is a real London Toastie! He began his career with LTT in 1993 and has now been the Drummer and Sound Effects magician for 21 CCC’s. His other work includes his own touring band “Sørens Orkester”. He is ready this year with his usual assortment of bangs and crashes, punches and farts, if his computer does not fail??
www.sorensorkester.dk
Tom Højlund Olsen
Tom likes to play for grand ladies, so when he isn’t working for Dame Vivienne, he plays for Dronning Margrethe in the Royal Guard. He trained as a classical percussionist and therefore finds it oddly thrilling, that he should finger 4 strings
on a bass guitar in the Crazy Christmas Cabaret band.
REVIEWS
The Copenhagen Post
Throughout the night, the audience was ever-present, laughing and interacting every step of the way. It is remarkable how the show does not simply cater to one specific demographic. Here pensioners rub shoulders with giggling teens, tweens, singles, couples, Danes and foreigners – to name but a few. As they left Glassalen three hours after they entered, it was clear that Vivienne and her merry gang had done it once again – the Crazy Christmas Cabaret is the gift that keeps on giving!.
(READ MORE: www.cphpost.dk)
Berlingske
Skøre Robin Hood rammer plet.
McKee rammer træfsikkert lige i bulls- eye i den blanding af gøgl, samfundssatire og lummerhed, der er netop denne kabaretforms særkende.
»I’ve come here to talk down to you all« proklamerer sherif Rump, men trods sit væld af platte punchlines fremstår årets Christmas Cabaret som præcis det modsatte.
En begavet og kreativ tekst båret af tradition, timing, vid og veloplagt spil. Vi bliver talt op, mens vi er tæt på at få mavekrampe af grin.
(READ MORE: www.b.dk)
Frederiksborg Amts Avis
Ny sherif i Sherwood-skovene...
Humøret smitter fra scene til sal, og sceneriet er om muligt kønnere og mere sammenhængende i år i Kirsten Brinks trofaste arrangement
Kulturkupeen
Crazy Christmas Cabaret. Bedre end nogen sinde.
Shakin’up Sherwood.
Robin Hood og Ronald Rump i kamp mod hinanden.
...Det er 34. gang London Toast diverterer med Julecabaret.
Dybt imponerende – og helt uden statstilskud – se det er også en kunst!
(READ MORE: www.kulturkupeen.dk)
Magasinet Kbh
Der er en grund til at utallige mennesker ser ’Crazy Christmas Cabaret’ som en ligeså vigtig årlig tradition som pakkelegen, Disneys juleshow og dansen om træet. Det er et hardcore publikum, der år på år sætter sig i Tivolis Glassal og giver sig hen. Et publikum der efter showet kunne røbe for mig at årets opsætning i Sherwood er blandt de bedste, sjoveste og mest opfindsomme i perlerækken af skøre julekabaretter.
(READ MORE: www.magasinetkbh.dk)
Kulturtid.dk
Kabareten er rigtig god underholdning: man får én på opleveren, man får rørt lattermusklerne og ikke mindst er man glad i låget, når man stille slentrer ud gennem det smukke Tivoli klædt på til julen. Hele ensemblet leverer simpelthen bare varen!
(READ MORE: www.kulturtid.dk)
Det händer
Crazy Christmas Cabaret har lyckats göra en fullpoängare, igen. Det är helgalet, fantastiskt roligt och i ett halsbrytande tempo. Det går inte att undvika att ryckas med i tempot och den humoristiska atmosfären. Lite som Monty Pythons bästa fast inte så crazy att publiken helt tappas bort. Om Clease & Co hade fortsatt så hade man nog varit ungefär som Crazy Christmas Cabaret är idag.
(READ MORE: www.skane.dethander.com)
SeniorBladet
Rablende morsom sort britisk humor.
Der er smæk for skillingerne når Crazy Christmas Cabaret tager Robin Hood, Donald Trump, undskyld Ronald Rump, Gordon Ramsay og andre under kærlig behandling. Sjovt og underholdende crazy show i lækker indpakning.
Ungt Teaterblod
Alle de otte skuespillere både sang og dansede, så selv jeg, som ellers ikke er den store revy- eller cabaretelsker, nynnede med på melodierne og grinte af teksterne.
...En dejlig og sjov oplevelse, som jeg bestemt kan anbefale, hvis du vil underholdes og være i godt selskab på en kold vinteraften.
(READ MORE: www.ungtteaterblod.dk)
Jyllands-Posten
Fortryllende morsom: Ronald Rump was here!
Skønt og dagsaktuelt Crazy Christmas-show, først i København, siden i Tivoli Friheden, Aarhus.
...Jo, denne omgang Crazy Christmas – imponerende nummer 34 i rækken – er fortryllende morsom juleunderholdning.
Uden et ord om jul.
(READ MORE: www.jyllands-posten.dk)
Børsen
Den bindegale og morsome forestilling tager fusen på alle.
(READ MORE: borsen.dk)
Gregers Dirckinck-Holmfeld
Det er sindssygt og sindssyg morsomt.
Tivolis Glassalen dugger af latter under Crazy Christmas Cabarets 2016 med titlen ’Shakin’ up Sherwood’.
(READ MORE: www.gregersdh.dk)
Morten Buckhøj
Man ved, at julen nærmer sig, når Vivienne McKee og hendes trup af skrupskøre skuespillere indtager Glassalen med deres Crazy Christmas Cabaret. Det har de gjort 18 gange nu - 34 gange i alt, hvis man tager de tidligere spillesteder med - og det fornemmes at mange blandt premierepublikummet har taget hele turen med dem.
(READ MORE: mortenbuckhoj.dk)
Ekstra Bladet
Nu kan det godt blive jul.
Hvem skulle tro, at man år efter år kunne sælge billetter til et show, der foregår på udenlandsk – engelsk, faktisk – i Danmark?
Men det kan man, og tak for det.
(READ MORE: www.ekstrabladet.dk)
Out & About
Crazy Christmas Cabaret er mere crazy end nogensinde og i år tilsat masser af politisk satire.
(READ MORE: www.out-and-about.dk)
Scenekanten
Vivienne McKee slår endnu engang dørene op og byder på engelske lækkerier i dette års Crazy Christmas Cabaret. Glassalens arena er forvandlet til en komisk politisk affære, og frem træder et herligt væld af karakterer og engelske udsagn, som dybest set vælter ned blandt Sherwoodskovens faste stammer.
(READ MORE: www.scenekanten.com)
De Scenestes
Crazy Christmas Cabaret var åben for både gamle ”Cabaret-gængere”, der kendte alle spillereglerne, såvel som nye, som nok skulle blive oplært....hvis man aldrig har oplevet en Crazy Christmas Cabaret før, så skal man da ind og se den.
AKultur
...nu jeg ved godt, at der til trods for navnet ikke er noget jul på programmet i Crazy Christmas, men derfor er Crazy Christmas alligevel gået hen og blevet noget, som jeg forbinder med julen, eller i hvert fald julens komme. Så når jeg har set Crazy Christmas, så er det altså ved at være tid til jul. Jeg siger det bare.
(READ MORE: akultur.wordpress.com)
Steen Blendstrup Kommunikation
Vivienne McKee har i "Shakin' Up Sherwood" taget begrebet metajokes til et nyt niveau: Referencerne gælder ikke blot film og andre kulturelle fænomener og aktuel politik.
….Det er HELT til grin i Glassalen med musikalske løjer og det helt store sceneudtræk - og til januar i Hermanns i Aarhus.
(READ MORE: facebook.com/SteenBlendstrupKommunikation)
Teaching Material
Click below to get the Teaching Material for Crazy Christmas Cabaret 2016 - Shakin' Up Sherwood