HARRY'S
CHRISTMAS



BY STEVEN BERKOFF



6 - 24 DECEMBER, 2023

KING'S HEAD THEATRE


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About THE SHOW.



Harry sits alone in his London flat, counting his cards, waiting for anyone to call him; perhaps for an old friend to knock on the door, or for an old lover to appear or just for someone to have a drink with. Waiting for anyone, really. Anyone.


As the dreaded Christmas Day nears his sense of isolation deepens & he falls further into the trough of despair.


This portrait of loneliness and isolation confronts the huge, often unspoken issues that affect many people for whom the end of December, rather than being a festive season, is a time when emotional pressures are at their highest.


Harry’s Christmas is a searingly dark comedy that was originally performed at The Donmar Warehouse in 1985, yet the ideas explored through the life of one man in this complex and microscopic examination of society’s hypocrisy makes it as relevant today as it was then, if not more so & they affect millions of people.





SOLO PERFORMANCE - STEPHEN SMITH



- OFF WEST END AWARDS 2023 (OFFIES)



STANDING OVATION NOM



- LONDON PUB THEATRES



★★★★★



"The performance by Stephen Smith is real, raw, emotional, and worthy of an Olivier Award... I left the theatre a different person than the one who came to the show... It touched my soul and has opened my eyes to an alternative Christmas, one exasperated by lockdown and loneliness"



- LONDONTHEATRE1



★★★★★



"Smith’s performance skills are outstanding, and the whole production does a superb job of highlighting a subject that is sometimes swept under the carpet. Highly recommended!"



- NORTH WEST END



★★★★



"Harry’s Christmas is not a show for the light-hearted, but it will leave you deeply moved."



- EVERYTHING THEATRE



★★★★



"As a railing against the hypocrisy and selfishness of the modern commercial Christmas, it remains as pertinent now as it did when the play was first performed in 1985. It’s a powerful conscience-pricking reminder that not everyone will enjoy a jolly festive season. "



- THE RECS



★★★★



"It’s a heart-wrenching performance... Harry’s Christmas provides a voice for those who feel even more muted during the festive period. A hard watch but an important one."



- THE REVIEWS HUB



★★★★



"A festive show worth seeing... If part of theatre is about creating emphatic experiences and a space to articulate deep feelings, the play ironically, shows we are not alone in feeling lonely."



- LONDON PUB THEATRES



"In an impressively modulated performance, Stephen Smith takes the audience on a whirlwind, perilous journey from chirpy, cheerful, and coping, to something quite a bit darker and more destructive. "



- LOST IN THEATRELAND



"Steven Berkoff’s analysis of loneliness at Christmas asks difficult questions of the timeless nature of British society and its relationship with the festive season"



- FRINGE REVIEW



"This timely and well realised antidote to the commercialisation and trivialisation of the festive period with its sugary excess and enforced jollity should be high on everyone’s Christmas list."



- JOHN CHAPMAN



★★★★



"It is important that we remember those for whom Christmas is hardest. And this play is such a sublime examination of that I think we can all come out richer for seeing it."



- PLAYS TO SEE



★★★★



"If we can take anything away from this profound production, subtly directed by Scott Le Crass, apart from the obvious thorough appreciation, it would a realisation of the need to reach out to the people in our lives, check in on them and make sure they are okay, to listen to them and let them know they are appreciated. We never know how someone is feeling just by looking on the outside."



- BROADWAY BABY



"At 70 minutes with no interval this play is shaped to provide a sharply intense nugget of emotional trauma that punches hard and fast."



- WATFRINGE REVIEWS



CAST & CREATIVES:



STEPHEN SMITH



Actor



steven berkoff



Playwright



scott le crass



Director



JULIAN STARR



Sound Designer & Composer



PRESENTED AT KING'S HEAD THEATRE
FROM 6 - 24 DECEMBER, 2022





Established in 1970, King’s Head Theatre is one of the oldest pub theatres in London. For over 50 years the theatre has been housed in the back room of the King’s Head Pub on Upper Street in an old boxing ring and pool hall...


VISIT WEBSITE

This production WAS in aid of CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably).





Every week 125 people in the UK take their own lives. And 75% of all UK suicides are male.


CALM exists to change this by offering life saving services, provoking conversation and bringing people together to reject living miserably.


From advice on their site, through to free, confidential chats with their helpline staff, online or on the phone, they're there for whoever needs them, every day. No matter what. £8 is enough to fund one potentially life-saving call.


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VIDEO GALLERY



IN CONVERSATION:
WiTH SCOTT LE CRASS & STEPHEN SMITH



tHEATRICAL trAILER



STEVEN BERKOFF LOVED IT!





After hearing about the critical success of our revival, Steven Berkoff came along to the King's Head Theatre for one of our matinee shows and was over the moon with our production.


We chatted about how surprised he was to read the rave reviews of the show, and how different our version was to when he first performed it back in 1985 - his version featured zero set and zero props!


After working on a few of his plays for various years, this meeting was truly a dream come true - especially because he actually liked the show!



BONNIE BRITAIN PHOTOGRAPHY






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