IT'S A WONDERFUL KNIFE: CHRISTMAS DUNDEE - Old Joint Stock (16/12/25)

Surplus of silliness and satire dominate this hare-brained movie mashup

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Everyone loves a Christmas movie, be it the relatability and interconnectivity of Richard Curtis' modern favourite "Love Actually", or maybe a golden age classic like "White Christmas", jam packed full of warmth, sentimentality, and timeless tunes. But then, once in a while, we have one come along completely out of left field, with zero links to the festive period whatsoever, to become the most popular Christmas Day film in British broadcasting history.

That film, much to the surprise of many, is Paul Hogan and Peter Faiman's 1986 action comedy "Crocodile Dundee". Abiding by their usual modus operandi, the Old Joint Stock never do things in half measures, having not only parodied the characters, lore and iconic lines from this film, but also taken the overriding plot from the 1946 Frank Capra classic "It's A Wonderful Life", and mashed the two up for, arguably, the most bizarre, unique pairing you're ever going to see stitched together in one. And the question that will undoubtedly be on everyone's lips is: how on earth does that work?

(Clockwise from the top) Tom Kiteley, Will Usherwood-Bliss, Paul Westwood, Thea-Jo Wolfe (credit: Perro Loco)

In a collaboration between artistic director James Edge (book/lyrics) and composer & musical director Adam Gerber (music), the musical centres around a fictionalised version of Paul Hogan, his guardian angel in the form of Burt the Crocodile, and his thoroughly unhinged journey through all manner of nods to Australian culture, musical theatre, and classic cinema. After an initial exposition featuring a series of movie animals, from Lassie to the shark from Jaws, we meet a dishevelled Hogan who, in a state of disillusionment, and mourning his recently deceased crocodilian former companion, ponders whether the world would be a better place without him in it, which is immediately where the mashup commences.

Perhaps surprisingly so, the way in which the two cinematic classics have been rolled into one is handled with a great deal of intelligence and cohesion, there are definitive elements of both sides of the coin on show, however we never feel a sense of artistic immiscibility, and they somehow work together marvellously well. There are occasional moments of directorial unevenness, and in spite of a clear picture of what they were trying to do emotionally, the final section does end up feeling a touch laborious and heavy handed. Additionally, it is never easy to enjoy a piece when the microphones, and general sound levels, are cranked up so high for such a small venue that they elicit winces of discomfort, especially for a show in which raised voices do feature so prominently.

All of this aside though, it does have to be said that how much enjoyment you gain from this wacky seasonal spoof is very much dependent on your familiarity with the material being parodied. For example there are jokes that, for the musical theatre aficionado, would very likely "make em laugh", but for the casual observer will be more prone to "fly, fly away" over their head. What was wonderful though was how tribute was paid to the real life Burt the Crocodile, who had sadly passed away a few days before Christmas last year, and there was a beautiful sense of closure we ultimately experienced.

Oliver Cartwright and Paul Westwood (credit: Perro Loco)

Whatever your thoughts on the show itself, the one thing that is unequivocal is the sheer talent of this five piece cast. Paul Westwood's downtrodden but still fighting fit Paul Hogan shows true Aussie guts, but also no shortage of heart, whilst Thea-Jo Wolfe is always fully captivating in a positive pot pourri of parts she plays, including a battle hardened Kylie Minogue, and a southern belle take on Babe the pig reminiscent of a porcine Scarlet O'Hara. The star that perhaps shone the brightest was that of Oliver Cartwright, in a sensational professional debut where he brings Burt back to life with dazzling style and vigour.

It has to be said I initially wasn't sure what to make of this quite unusual new piece, however its perfect balance of daftness and poignancy easily trumps its underlying issues, and the design team have delivered strongly on all visual elements, not to mention the score is jam packed with great tunes, a terrific mix of original songs and clever pastiche. It may not set the world alight in the same way as either of its namesakes, but I guarantee that you have never seen anything like this in the theatre before, and for that alone it's worth the trip.

★★★☆☆ (3*)

"It's a Wonderful Knife: Christmas Dundee" runs at the Old Joint Stock Theatre until the 30th of December (tickets)

{PR/Gifted tickets}