Some Christmas shows sneak up on you. Others announce themselves loudly, swear a lot, and grab you by the tinsel the moment you walk in. A Very Naughty Christmas very much belongs in the second category.
This is my fifth year seeing Woodward Productions’ festive filth-fest, and I can safely say this was the strongest version yet. It’s a show that could easily ring in audiences year after year, relying on the same jokes and festive debauchery, but not this year. This year felt more rounded and well put-together, while also feeling more unhinged than ever before.
A solid part of that comes down to the cast. There is a firm core of familiar faces who clearly understand the rhythm of the show and how to ride an audience. That sense of comfort gives the whole thing a strong backbone.
Add in a handful of new performers, and suddenly everything feels a little fresher. The jokes land differently. The energy lifts. It’s like requesting the same Christmas cocktail each year, but 2025 is the year someone decided they wanted to get grandpa drunk and threw in an extra shot.
If you’re expecting a show full of festive Christmas cheer, this ain’t it. A Very Naughty Christmas leans hard into the naughty side of Santa’s list. Very hard. It takes well-known Christmas carols and twists them like a festive garland, sounding more like they were written by a mischievous Christmas elf who should have stopped drinking eggnog hours earlier than those written by our favourite artists.
The parodies come thick and fast. Santa Claus is Coming sets the tone early, keeping the original title, but absolutely not the original innocence. Similarly, When I Think About You, I Touch My Elf leaves no room for misunderstanding as Nina Carcione plays naughty with her Christmas elf, Anthony Craig, because contractually, she can’t touch the audience member she’s directing the lyrics at.
And a chaotic 12 Days of Christmas brings sex toys, innuendo, and plenty of audience participation into the mix. It escalates quickly and gleefully.
There are moments where the show just throws subtlety out the window and commits fully. Don’t Be A C*** On Christmas is one of those songs. Yes, that word is used. Repeatedly. If that makes you uncomfortable, you have fair warning.
Other highlights include Santa’s Lost A Ho and a surprisingly topical number about Santa being blocked from entering Australia because the borders are shut and he does not have the correct paperwork. It hits close to home and gets big laughs.
Casting-wise, Stephen Hirst reprises his role as naughty Santa, and thank Father Christmas for that! Change what you want in the show, but lose Hirst, and you lose the hook that is keeping all of the Christmas lights on the house. He is relaxed, confident, and clearly comfortable pushing the jokes as far as they will go.
The audience immediately responds to his filthy wit, and the energy exchange between performer and viewer is infectious. His ability to be crude without losing his charm is a skill worth bottling. Simply, Stephen Hirst is a Santa I would let stuff my stocking any day of the year.
Anthony Craig is back as the elf everyone should want on their shelf. As a long-time cast regular, he is completely at ease with the material. Nothing feels forced. He plays with the audience, reacts in the moment, and keeps things moving effortlessly. You can tell he knows this show inside out, and that confidence pays off.
Vocally, the show continues to surprise. Aurélie Roque’s I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas, which is very much about snow (just not the kind that falls from the sky), is one of the night’s standouts. She has such a beautiful and controlled voice and can sell us on absolute filth while still sounding genuinely gorgeous. Year after year, she brings a real sense of polish to the chaos.
This year also introduced some excellent new faces. Olivia Horne, a recent graduate of the Queensland Academy of Excellence in Musical Theatre, joins fellow alum Croft Phillips (standing in for Lachlan Greenland), Lara Trevor and Nina Carcione as the new presents under the tree. All are strong singers and slide straight into the ensemble without missing a beat. There is no awkward new cast member energy here. They fit right in alongside the established Naughty Christmas regulars.
The biggest standout of the night, though, is Sam Ward. His voice is powerful, rich, and frankly dangerous in this context. Recently seen in American Psycho and having performed with The Ten Tenors, he is an absolute weapon of a casting choice. One would think that Bing Crosby’s classic, Winter Wonderland is untouchable. But not for A Very Naughty Christmas. And certainly not for Ward.
Parodied as Walking Round in Women’s Underwear, Ward’s showstopper is by far the highlight of the evening. The vocals are flawless, the comic timing is perfect, and yes, holy crap, this man is ripped. I am fairly certain there were a few happy little elves in the audience after this number!
The reason this show still lands year after year is pretty simple. It does not try to be clever about being filthy. It just commits. Fully. There is no polish slapped over the top to make it more respectable. It is loud, rude, and happy to be exactly that. What saves it from becoming a mess is the talent behind it. The cast can really sing, and the show is paced well enough that it never drags or runs itself into the ground.
Five years in, A Very Naughty Christmas still feels like catching up with a friend who somehow keeps getting funnier. If you like your Christmas entertainment rude, ridiculous, and very much for adults only, this is as good as festive theatre gets in Brisbane right now.
A Very Naughty Christmas is presented by Woodward Productions and runs to 21 December 2025. Twelfth Night Theatre, 4 Cintra Road Bowen Hills Qld 4006.
Tickets: https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=NAUXMAS25
Website: https://www.averynaughtychristmas.com/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/averynaughtychristmas/
Photo credits: Joel Devereux
