Ten years on the naughty list: The campest, crudest cabaret returns
Brisbane impresario Alex Woodward is on a roll, with the foundation of his success a rather naughty and irreverent Christmas show.
It seems Santa doesn’t discriminate between those who’ve been naughty or nice anymore. There’s a big Christmas treat coming up for the naughty ones, with the 10th year in a row of Woodward Productions’ A Very Naughty Christmas.
The brainchild of theatre makers Alex Woodward and Daniel Venz, A Very Naughty Christmas has been described by various critics as “filthy,” “raunchy” and “non-stop laughs”. The show’s producer Woodward explains how he and co-creator Venz came up with the concept:
“When we first started the show, there wasn’t exactly much Christmas programming outside of what was made for families,” Woodward says. “You’d have things like The Nutcracker at QPAC, but outside of that nothing else was really going on.
“You have two sets of family – the one you’re born into, which I love, but I also have my family that I’ve made – my friends and colleagues. We wanted to celebrate a silly and fun Christmas where we’d have lot of gin and give each other crappy presents and get dressed up in silly ways. We wanted to capture that energy in a stage show. It was the Christmas celebration for the family you’ve chosen.”
Returning in his role of Santa is Stephen Hirst, with other show performers being Aurelie Roque, Emily Kristopher, Olivia Horne, Tom Pocilujko and Mateja Sardelis.
A Very Naughty Christmas is a cabaret-style show where the clear priority is about having fun. With different scenes contributed to by various cast members and outside creatives, the show has evolved over the 10 years it’s been entertaining audiences.
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“The opening skits change year on year to be relevant to what’s going on in the world,” Woodward says. “But, in saying that, we’ve done lots of jokes about Trump and politics, and I thought we wouldn’t be doing them this year, but here we are and we’ve still got the same people at the helm! It’s funny because I remember we made a joke about Pauline Hanson in year one and, all of a sudden, she’s relevant again.”
So, just how naughty is it? Would it be an embarrassing cringe-fest if you take your mum? While Woodward firmly steers the conversation away from his own mother, ABC-TV’s weather legend Jenny Woodward, saying the show is “not her cup of tea”, he says that some people do come with their mothers year after year.
“What is appropriate really depends on who you are as a person,” he explains. “Every year, there are always one or two bits that are possibly like, ‘Oh no, that was too far for me’. I think that’s an important line that we tread. We’ve spent 10 years figuring that out.”
With a decade of performances to celebrate, there’s a special show performance on December 15, called The Birthday Party, when the audience can see the regular show with extras such as the return of some beloved cast members and an anniversary cake.
With cancellations of big-theatre productions plaguing the industry, Woodward Productions is on a roll, also presenting Sherlock Holmes: The Mystery of the Valkyrie at QPAC Playhouse from November 14 to 29. It premiered in 2023 and is back to thrill audiences, with masterful performances from Eugene Gilfedder as Sherlock, Bryan Probets as Professor Moriarty and Ian Stenlake as Dr Watson. The play is written by Brisbane writer, director and actor Michael Futcher.
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“Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation is one of the most adapted characters of all time,” Woodward says of the enduring popularity of Sherlock Holmes stories. “It’s a great introduction to literature too – people might come along and then maybe read the books.”
As if that’s not enough, Woodward’s pared-down production of Little Shop of Horrors, which had a very successful sell-out Brisbane season at QPAC’s cosy Cremorne Theatre, is having limited seasons in Hobart, Melbourne and Wollongong, with possibly more dates to follow.
“It was such a huge success in Brisbane that we knew we had to take that show to the rest of the country,” Woodward says. “It was a partnership with QPAC to put shows on in the Cremorne Theatre. The other day we announced Once, the musical, which is going into there from January 2nd … I’m so excited to be premiering that musical in Brisbane.”
It marks a triumphant year for Woodward, who has definitely defied some of the downward theatre trends. Does he have a secret for choosing productions with “hit” written all over them?
“I think it’s smart budgeting and, for all the doom and gloom, there are also amazing stories,” he says. “Phantom of the Opera and The Lion King in Sydney have done the best business they’ve done, and we’ve also been executive-producing Fiddler on the Roof in Brisbane – and it’s done amazing business.
“There’s no doubt the cost of living is getting harder and audiences are getting pickier. You have to make sure ticket prices match what an audience is willing to pay. And putting on shows that people want to see – it’s not about picking shows that I want to do.
“Obviously, there are shows I’m passionate about, but it’s about making sure there will be x-thousand people wanting to come along and see them. We’ve been actively working on that.”
Woodward Productions started in 2016 under the moniker Understudy Productions then was rebranded in 2020. Woodward knew from the age of 18, after seeing Wicked in London, that he wanted to work in the theatre. He’s obviously found his niche and is happy pleasing his audiences.
A Very Naughty Christmas plays Twelfth Night Theatre, Bowen Hills, December 3 to 20 (strictly 18+).
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