By Grace Hatchell
Well, my loves, if you’re wondering when the festive feeling officially arrives in London, I’d say it’s the moment Santa himself tries to squeeze down the chimney at the Unicorn Theatre. Yes, that’s right — the world premiere of Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen’s picture book How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? is about to tumble, twist, and giggle its way onto the stage this November.
Now, this isn’t just any Christmas show. It’s the Unicorn’s first-ever co-production with Told by an Idiot, the gloriously inventive bunch the Guardian once called “one of the jewels of left-field British theatre.” And if you’ve ever seen their work, you’ll know what that means: expect mischief, music, and more physical comedy than Santa’s had mince pies.
At the helm is Paul Hunter, co-founder and artistic director of Told by an Idiot — the mind behind Charlie & Stan and Get Happy. Here, he’s cooked up a comic caper packed with live tunes, puppetry, and all the delightful chaos of Christmas morning.
The cast is a cracker too:
Giulia Innocenti (Wuthering Heights),
Frida Cæcilia Rødbroe (also composing the show’s music),
Mikey Ureta (doubling as choreographer),
Nathan Queeley-Dennis (Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz),
and Anna Blackburn (Pride & Prejudice (Sort Of)) keeping the sleigh on course as assistant director and understudy.
Behind the scenes, it’s a dream team of theatre magic — Sonya Smullen, winner of the Naomi Wilkinson Award for Stage Design 2025, leads the visual charge, joined by puppetry director Rachel Leonard, sound designer Esther Kehinde Ajayi, and lighting designer Sarah Readman. Together they promise a show that sparkles brighter than the fairy on top of the tree.
The Naomi Wilkinson Award for Stage Design was established by Told by an Idiot in 2019 in
memory of the late theatre set and costume designer Naomi Wilkinson, to recognise emerging
designers with a distinctive visual imagination. The Award is generously supported by the
Charles Mason and Naomi Wilkinson Foundation and AHA Talent. Without their support, Told by
an Idiot would be unable to give this opportunity to female designers at such a pivotal stage of
their careers.
So, if your December calendar’s looking a bit bare (or you just fancy a night away from wrapping paper and shopping lists), get yourself to the Unicorn. Because this show doesn’t just ask How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? — it invites you to tumble down with him into a world of festive wonder.
Grace’s Postscript:
This one’s on my round covering 16 postcodes across London — and I can already hear the jingle bells from here. Trust me, this is the sort of show that makes even us postal folk believe in Christmas magic all over again.
15th November – 3rd January 2026
https://www.unicorntheatre.com/whats-on
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