Preview: How To Catch A Krampus

Christmas just got creepy!


Those deranged drag creatures from Sink The Pink are here with an evening of theatrical wonderment. This year they’re schooling the children on How to Catch a Krampus!

Now that Halloween’s over we’re in that strange in-between bit where you’re not quite done with getting kooky, and not quite ready to get Christmassy. You want to wear a pointy hat, but should it be a stiff one in black, or a floppy one in red velvet with a white fur trim. Delving into those Tim Burton vibes, the talented minds that be over at STP head quarters (not to be confused with SJP head quarters, where every sentence has to begin with ‘In a city like New York’) have been putting together a night that’s equal parts snowflakes and dandruff.

How to Catch a Krampus! follows in the long artistic tradition of ‘How to’ titled works of art, up there with How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and How to Train your Dragon. It’s gearing up to be just as terrifying as the thought that Jennifer Hudson thought yellow satin was a good look. From the mind of Ginger Johnson comes a tantalising mixture of horror and holly. This *cough* traditional theatre show is being infused with Ginger, much like a two litre bottle of Old Jamaica, and is sure to leave you with a healthy dose of heartburn. She’ll also be taking centre stage as master of ceremonies as a part-time medium, and full-time con-artist which is basically means she’ll be playing herself… joining Ginger will be LEGENDARY drag trail-blazer Lavinia Co-op, who has seen her fair share of Christmases, and has personally ruined several of them.

Since the Kramus is the nasty misshaped cousin of ‘ol Saint Nicholas, it only makes sense that the show is the disfigured relative to your local production of A Christmas Carol.  As the punisher of misbehaved children, he’s been terrorising the little ones of central Europe. However, this Krampus is heading North to wreak havoc on the yummy mummies of Islington; spitting in their soy lattes and clawing at their yoga pants. The Pleasance is the off-West End that has been drawing crowds up through Camden for almost twenty-five years, playing host to deplorables, from Michael McIntyre to the cockney witch stylings of Russell Brand.

Now they’re decking their halls in guts and gore. Giving you an anthology of terrifying stories, pit stopping at a few musical numbers, and dancing drag queens, it’s damn sure to roast your chestnuts. The antidote to all the Norman Rockwell-esque, wholesome Christmas merriment, How to Catch a Krampus! is here to wipe it’s ass with your grandmother’s Christmas card, and put the camel-toe in mistletoe. This show contains nudity, flashing lights and scenes of a violent and disturbing nature, so maybe leave the kids at home…

How to Catch a Krampus! is at the Pleasance Theatre, Islington from the 13th of November. For more information and tickets, head over to Pleasance.co.uk.

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