Twist Your Dickens

By Peter Gwinn & Bobby Mort.

Directed by Ron West.

At the Goodman Theatre’s Owen Theatre, Chicago.

Hilarious spoof of Charles Dickens works on all levels.

Now in its third year down the hall from A Christmas Carol, Twist Your Dickens one more offers a comic holiday treat featuring the best techniques of Second City to make you laugh during the holidays. Move over Larry Yando – Ron West is your rival as Scrooge. LOL! Comic writers Peter Gwinn and Bobby Mort have penned a smart, hilarious and rambunctious spoof of A Christmas Carol. Together with  – Greg Mattew Anderson, Carisa barracs, Joel Boyd, Katie  Caussin, Sarah Dell’ Amico and Joe Dempsey-this troupe works their comic magic  to produce enough laughs to spark your holidays.

The Second City’s twist on Dickens has sprinkles of accuracy, with a few comic zingers added with appearances by George Bailey, Charlie Brown, and hecklers from the audience to add to the fun. The audience also has their say in several skits as well as pre-show written comments from the audience on the worst thing you ever did. The wild and crazy antics geared in the spirit of A Christmas Carol quickly became a whirlwind of clever humor. Act one was especially funny and act two unfolded as a bit stale – kind of like a guest who comes to your place for dinner and stays until the wee hours. Best to  cut this to 90 minutes.

Yet, the cleverness and the spot-on performances led by the genius of Ron West and his six cast members was enough to make the Scrooge in you smile, even belly laugh! Once you have seen the main production of A Christmas Carol, come back and see the wildly funny Second City version. Both productions are marvelously entertaining. Scrooge You! may become a tradition like the classic production playing down the hall at the Goodman Theatre.

Recommended.

Tom Williams.

Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast.

Date Reviewed: December 8, 2016.

For more info checkout the Twist Your Dickens page at theatreinchicago.com.

At the Goodman Theatre’s Owen stage, 170 N. Dearborn, Chicago, IL, call 312-443-3800, www.goodmantheatre.org, tickets $20 on up. through December 30, 2016.