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It’s the educational fun of Horrible Histories, perfect for kids and adult fans alike.

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Horrible Histories was a huge part of my formative years, as it was for many currently in their twenties. I can still sing some of the songs word for word, to this day. Knowing all the Kings and Queens in the ‘Monarchs’ song’ held a lot of social capital in primary school. It’s CBBC nostalgia at its core.  But no longer just a fun memory, the franchise now has its own run of live shows; and for the festive season, it’s Horrible Christmas, an educational show full of facts, Christmas puns, and singing and dancing. It’s the informative fun of Horrible Histories, perfect for kids and adult fans alike.

For true authenticity, I brought along my 9-year-old brother, for his verdict. As expected Alexandra Palace’s rustic theatre was wall to wall with other children and their adults, and the hope among the adults is there is something in the show that entertains them too. And on the whole, there is.

Time travel is a practical narrative device, and through it, we follow Watson (Ashley Cousins) on his quest to prevent Sydney Claus from ruining Christmas forever, with the help of Shirley Holmes (Isabel Ford) and her detective work. Stopping off through time, we meet Charles Dickens, Oliver Cromwell, Charles II, Henry VIII, the original St. Nicholas and eventually, in Bethlehem, with the real star of Christmas.   

It’s a slightly tepid start, but the laughs get going and the cast carry off a funny script well, with high enough energy to get the audience on board with some panto-style booing. It’s what you expect from Horrible Histories, silly historical facts wrapped up in jokes and fun. The script is missing some of the gory silliness of the original books, like the energy of ‘Stupid Deaths’, but it’s clearly catering for an even younger audience and is still very enjoyable.

The whole cast bring the comedy, particularly the scouse St. Nicholas (the original saint from Turkey), and a cheeky Henry VIII who drew many laughs from the audience. A playful rap about Charles the II returning to England after Cromwell’s death is another highlight. But it’s absolutely criminal that they didn’t use the iconic ‘The King of Bling’ rap from the original CBBC show. Rights may have been a problem on that, but it’s remains essential to this day, and any amount of money spent would’ve been worth it. Speaking of rights, Buster the Blue-Nose Reindeer tells a very sad tale of his red-nosed friend Rudolph, who used to do this show, but after a call from an America had to stop.

Matthew Scott’s music, especially the audience participation number about Henry VIII popularising the Christmas Turkey was a real hit. Most of the songs are enjoyable but also underwhelming at times.

Overall, it’s a fun time for all ages: for those nostalgic for the franchise, and current fans too.

Miles, aged 9, said: “It was great. I liked the time travel bits, and it had a good ending”. Miles also enjoyed the sweets and popcorn at the interval.