NOVEMBER 2009: ISSUE 6
SOUTHWARK COLLEGE VOICE 9
Far from your average comedy
HAPPY Chuffin’ Christmas was
By JOHN EDDEN
‘It was
normal people. In fact, the Warburton’s
never really meant to be;
are almost below normal. They are real-
Christmas wasn’t actually the
Neighbours prefer the foreign dish,
never ly, really chavvy. I have really stereo-
deadline for it; the Network
much to Adele’s family’s dismay
meant to
typed them but made them act as though
Theatre wasn’t actually the
who pride themselves on their bacon
they are above everyone else.
become
“The fact that they pride themselves on
planned venue for it.
sandwiches. However, nobody enjoys
Prosciutto di Parma quite as much as
In fact, Happy Chuffin’ Christmas
the play
bacon butties and the exchange student
Adele’s brother, Nick, who is perhaps a
wasn’t actually the original name for it.
little too keen.
that is has
comes from a noble family who specialise
in really posh cuisine not only typifies
Despite the fact that the play will be
With an Anglo-Italian nativity in the become.”
the Warburton’s as your run-of-the-mill
premiering on December 1, writer Kirsty
making, the Warburton's and the
Eyre reveals her new production should
Ferrari's are brought together at
- Kirsty
chavvy family but it also brings about
another clash in their backgrounds.”
have been something different entirely.
Christmas. Another clash of cultural Eyre
It is these clashes that ultimately
“I never sat down and planned to write
differences fans the fire, which burns the
bring about the bulk of the humour in
a Christmas comedy,” she said, almost
turkey in a spectacular showdown on
Network Theatre,” she explained. “We Happy Chuffin’ Christmas that takes its
as though she is still bemused that her
Christmas day in a tale that you will
were in a little meeting for amateur
name from a line in the play and it is
original concept was transformed into
never forget.
writers and someone from Network was
these contrasts that Kirsty cited as a
what it is today.
Some people may call it an original,
present. We got talking and luckily we
secret formula for success.
“I was writing something much bigger
inventive tale; others a comical
got on really well - so well in fact that I
“Everybody knows someone who
that wasn’t meant to be ready for many
masterpiece. Kirsty calls it an ‘acci-
have since been able to write a number of
thinks they are better than they actually
months yet. In fact, I can’t even
dent’. “It was never meant to become the
plays and present them there.”
are and behind closed doors we laugh at
remember how it became what it has
play that it has become,” she con-
To date, Kirsty has enjoyed much
their ignorance,” she explained. “We love
become. I just remember reading it back
tinued. “I even wrote it differently. It was
success at the theatre with such plays as
nothing more than seeing these types of
one day and deciding it would make a
written in the form of prose so a lot of it
‘Dick Lothario’, ‘Suburban Spaceman’
people fall down on something they rave
good comedy.”
was narration. Of course, to make it a
and ‘Class’, all of which share something
about so much.
And so a comedy it became but Happy
play I had to delete most of the narra-
with Happy Chuffin’ Christmas that has
“In a way that is what Happy Chuffin’
Chuffin’ Christmas is far from your aver-
tion and concentrate mainly on the
come to be known as something of a
Christmas is all about but it mustn’t be
age comedy. It doesn’t follow a certain
speech of the characters.
trademark of Kirsty’s.
taken seriously. You will probably get
character as such, nor does it follow a
“Once I had decided it would be better
For she doesn’t just cover her material
some people who read far too much into
particular place or theme. Instead, it has
off as a comedic play, I had to rewrite the
with splashes of fantasy. Right at the
the different cultures of the Warburton’s
a hybrid narrative that keeps unwinding
whole script. I’m glad I did though - it is
heart of all of her plays is something that
and the Ferrari’s or people who look too
throughout, concentrating on a number
completely an accident but one that it
is so real it adds a fine juxtapose to
closely at their financial differences.
of characters, a number of places and a
seems, was destined to happen.”
Kirsty’s repertoire - the characters. Her
“At the end of the day it is just a work
number of different events that all build
It is perhaps apt that Kirsty describes
characters are often just ordinary people
of fiction - just a play that is meant to
up into one exciting crescendo.
her play as an ‘accident’. For not only
and this is the premise that she plays on
provide a bit of light humour at
It all starts when the glamorous
was her route into writing also ‘an
to make a fine contrast and give her
Christmas. I think that people should
Letitzia Ferrari takes part in a foreign accident’ but even her subsequent
story a touch of hilarity.
definitely come and see it. It may be just
exchange programme, arriving in working relationship with the Network
This time around, they all have the
an amateur play but quite simply it is
Barnsley only to find that the family she Theatre was unintentional. By day, she
names of mythical Greek Gods but as
the best laugh you will get anywhere for
is visiting, the Warburton's, cannot is merely an ordinary member of the
Kirsty explained, her characters are far
the paltry sum of just £10!”
afford to send their daughter the other public, working for a large business
from noble. She laughed a little as she
Kirsty Eyre’s new Happy Chuffin’
way. corporation and earning a respectable
talked about them and it is clear that she
Christmas will be performed at the
A battle of cultures ensues not only living but in her spare time, Kirsty has
has spent such a long time working on
Network Theatre, London Waterloo from
between the English family’s daughter, always expressed a huge interest in
her play they have become very close to
Tuesday to Saturday, December 1-5 at
Adele and Letitzia but also between writing and in fact, this is not her first
her heart.
7.30pm. Book your tickets by phone on
bacon butties and the foreign dish amateur play at the Network Theatre.
“They do have the names of Greek
020 77359643 or at
Prosciutto di Parma! “A friend introduced me to the
Gods but actually they are all just
www.ticketsource.co.uk/networktheatre.
What: What a Wonderful World What: Midnight Mass
Where: Unicorn Theatre, 147 Tooley Where: Southwark Cathedral, London
CHOCOLATE TREAT:
Street Bridge
When: 22/12/09-27/12/09; times vary
The Christmas
When: 24/12/09; 11.30pm
Chocolate Festival at
£10 (conc £7.50)
Free
Southbank Centre
Booking: 020 7645 0560
Square
What: 2512 Ride
What: Christmas Cracker
Where: Southwark Needle, London
Where: Shakespeare's Globe, New Globe
Bridge
Walk
When: 25/12/09; 11am
When: 22/12/09 - 3/1/10; combination of
Free
11am, 2pm and 5.30pm performances
£5-£20 (family tickets available)
What: Family Service with Holy
Box office: 020 7401 9919
Communion
Where: St Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey
What: Dieter Rams
Street
Where: Design Museum, Shad Thames
When: 23/12/09 - 14/3/10; Daily 10am-
When: 25/12/09; 10.30am
5.45pm (last admission 5.15pm)
Free
£8.50 (conc £6.50; students £5); Under
12s free
What: Circus Minimus
Booking: 0870 909 9009
Where: Unicorn Theatre, 417 Tooley
Street
What: Building the Crib Service
When: 29/12/09-3/1/10; times vary
Where: Southwark Cathedral, London
£10 (conc £7.50)
Bridge
Booking: 020 7645 0560
When: 24/12/09; 4pm
Free
What: New Year's Eve Party
Where: Shakespeare's Globe, New Globe
What: The Wonder of Christmas Walk
Where: St Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey When: 31/12/09; 7.30pm-midnight
Street £250
When: 24/12/09; 4pm Booking: 020 7401 9919
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