In the first festive offering produced in-house for Farnham Maltings, The Christmas Lobster is a brand-new, bonkers Christmas show that’s fun for all the family, with original live music, puppetry and laughter aplenty. Ahead of the run, we spoke to writer and director Nel Crouch about the show.
Tell us a bit about your brand-new show, The Christmas Lobster
The Christmas Lobster is a very funny, music-filled, adventure of a show with a lot of heart. It follows the fortunes of a group of misfits called the Society of Christmas Creatures: leader Hillary, his reluctant son Sam, fanatic Leslie and suspiciously upbeat Elliot. They have dedicated their lives to uncovering the True Meaning of Christmas. To do this, they’ve decided to go straight to the source, tracking down Christmas creatures and characters to ask them the question directly. They’ve come to Farnham this year to ask the Farnham Christmas Lobster. Which we’ve all heard of, right? It is incredibly famous.
Why did you want to write about a Christmas crustacean? Did you have any particular inspiration?
The Christmas Lobster could have really been any creature – a Christmas Llama perhaps, or a Christmas Albatross. A Christmas Woodlouse? The idea of a Christmas Lobster just tickled me, and there is something festive about a shiny red lobster (although they do only go red once they’re cooked – a bit of a sinister layer to the show perhaps?). I think I may also have been subconsciously inspired by the best/worst Christmas film of all time, Love Actually, which features a nativity play with a child dressed as a lobster!
What’s your favourite line from the show?
“Here’s a clue: it’s red, it’s shiny, it’s a member of the crustacean family and it’s been around these parts since the beginning of time, keeping its secrets and spreading Christmas Cheer.” All you need to know about the Christmas Lobster right there.
How does puppetry feature in the piece?
On their journey, the gang encounter quite a few Christmas creatures – seven swans a-swimming, a robin redbreast, THE Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and the Christmas Lobster itself. We’ve created these creatures though a combination of beautiful puppets and ludicrous costumes.
Why should potential audience members book tickets right away?
This show is, above all, going to be an enormous amount of fun for all the family. The brilliant team are working hard to create striking visuals, catchy songs, beautiful harmonies, a 6 foot tall festive lobster and a warming message about family, friends and togetherness at this time of year. It’s something a bit different from a panto and it’s been tailor made for the people of Farnham. So book those tickets!
The Christmas Lobster is at Farnham Maltings from 13th – 24th December, tickets and more information can be found here: https://farnhammaltings.com/
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