Without giving too much away, what can audiences expect from The Bah Humbug Club?
A lot of laughs, a few tears, and a bit of nostalgia – like the best Christmases.
How did you come up with the idea of writing about Christmas haters?
Charles Dickens created the first Christmas hater in A Christmas Carol, and I’ve borrowed Scrooge’s catch phrase for the title. You need lots of conflict in comedy. A play about a group who all get on with each other and love Christmas would be hard to make funny, and comedies about terrible family Christmases already exist. So, I decided to write a play about complete strangers trying to escape Christmas who get stuck with each other in 1999 and then keep coming back for more for the next 23 years.
Who was your favourite character to write?
All of them. Underneath Jane’s feistiness, Andy’s toughness, and Fred’s laddishness, there’s hidden vulnerability. Pauline is the main protagonist and has a very special place in my heart; she’s the glue that holds the Bah Humbug Club together. It’s quite rare to have the opportunity to put an older woman at the centre of a comedy like this and I feel very privileged to have been able to do so.
Which character do you relate to the most?
Again, all of them. I write using a mixture of observation, research, and invention. I create my characters by imagining what it would be like to be them, so they all contain a bit of me.
What do you hope audiences will take away from this show?
I hope audiences are hugely entertained, and that it gets them in the mood for the festive season by making them laugh and think about what’s really important at Christmas.