A new take on a Christmas Carol from Nick Mohammed's alter-ago

Nick Mohammed is reviving his alter ego Mr Swallow for a new festive show,  A Christmas Carol-ish.

However the comedian has had to cancel his planned Edinburgh  Fringe run next month as filming has begun on the third, and reportedly final, series of Ted Lasso. Mohammed has just received his second  Emmy nomination for his role as Nate Shelly in the hit Apple TV+ football comedy.

However, he will be back in the guise of his enthusiastic, demanding and irritating  alter-ego at  London’s Soho Theatre for a two-and-half week run of his new show, in which he attempts a musical retelling of the Dickens classic.

He will be joined by his regular supporting cast of David Elms and Kieran Hodgson as Goldsworth and Jonathan respectively – with a new character, P&O Ferries’ favourite lounge singer, Rochelle Kelly, yet to be cast.

In character, Mr Swallow said:  ‘The hugest of thank yous to the Dickens estate for trusting me with this literary classic. I remember studying it at school and never really liking it. But it has been a real privilege getting to take the original text and change all the words, context and overall meaning such that it fits my very specific requirements.

‘I’d also like to point out that this is the longest musical I (and possibly others) have ever written. Fingers crossed it’s not the last!’

Mohammed has appeared as Mr Swallow several times on Channel 4’s Cats Does Countdown, with a clip of him memorising a deck of cards attracting more than 12 million views. He also appeared as Mr Swallow in Amazon’s new series Backstage With Katherine Ryan, impressing Jimmy Carr with his sleight of hand.

He also recently shot a lead role in the feature film Maggie Moore(s), about a double murder in a  dusty desert town where nothing ever happens. He will star opposite Jon Hamm and Tina Fey in the movie. which is due for release later in 2022.

  A Christmas Carol-ish runs from December 7 until December 23. Tickets go on sale tomorrow.

It will be directed by Matt Peover, with Oliver Birch the composer,  Freddie Tapner the music supervisor and Emily Holt the choreographer with set and costumed design by Fly Davis. Owen Donovan produces for Berk’s Nest.

Published: 20 Jul 2022