The festive season is upon us yet again, so as the days grow shorter, colder and ever frantic you might be inclined to take a break from all the hustle and bustle.

For me and thousands of others in Copenhagen, that can mean only one thing: a visit to Tivoli’s Glassalen for a rendezvous with Vivienne McKee and her merry gang, and another showing of the Crazy Christmas Cabaret (CCC).

Rooted in research
This year’s ‘Don’t Touch Nefertiti’ invites the audience on an expedition into the past, along the banks of the River Nile to find the fabled grave of the eponymous Egyptian pharaoh-ess.

It is a fun-filled show, full of mystery and intrigue inspired by a wide range of sources including Agatha Christie’s famous novel ‘Death on the Nile’, Boris Karlo’s ‘Frankenstein’ and Howard Carter’s discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb, to name just a few.

McKee researched extensively for the show, which was plain to see as much of the info about the history of ancient Egypt and the mythology was accurate.

All the crew are here
Along the way, we meet wacky characters with names like Haid d’ Salaami, an Egyptian freedom fighter (played by versatile Bennet Thorpe), High Priest Hairontop (played by the bald, but talented regular David Bateson), and Fanny Golightly – the dimwitted ‘damsel in distress’ (played by the wonderful Katrine Falkenberg, back again after last year’s absence).

Crowd favourite and CCC regular Andrew Jeffers is back as the Dame, but it is the surprise inclusion of Bateson as Jeffers’ younger sister (“she’s the pretty one!”) that will have you in stitches, although the rest of the cast are undoubtedly great
as well.

The special chemistry developed between the actors is clear to see and it drives the show, which in turn makes it so entertaining. And McKee is the glue that holds it all together.

Adlib laughs all night
As is CCC custom, the jokes are mostly on the racy side. One-liners of a sexual nature are  red frequently towards the audience, often in deadpan fashion. Some of these jokes can feel a bit forced, but when the actors can’t keep their masks, these moments usually provide the biggest laughs, or at least on a par with the occasional bit of satire.

Everyone at Glassalen could be heard laughing when the show touched on politics when a noisy camel was christened Støjberg in honour of the integration minister, Inger Støjberg.

A special mention must go to the elaborate costumes, and also the music/sound effects delivered by the house band, which this year performed under the name of King Tut’s Trio.  The CCC is known for its song and dance numbers, and the band are an essential part of this set-up.

At almost three hours in length, the show did seem to drag on a bit towards the end, but that is a mere blip on an otherwise entertaining evening, made even better with a glass or two of mulled wine beforehand.