The wonderfully festive world premiere of Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen’s hilariously funny picture book How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?is set to bring Christmas joy to the heart of London this November. The production marks the Unicorn’s first co-production with Told by an Idiot, ‘one of the jewels of left-field British theatre’ (Guardian), offering a unique opportunity to experience the work of this internationally acclaimed company.
Adapted and directed by Told by an Idiot’s Co-founder and Artistic Director Paul Hunter (Charlie & Stan, UK and international tours; The Cat and The Canary, Chichester Festival Theatre; Get Happy, Barbican and UK/International tour), this comic Christmas caper promises a thrilling fusion of physical comedy, live music, and anarchic fun for the whole family. The show further builds on the Unicorn’s reputation as the UK’s leading venue for bold, innovative work that helps children explore their identities and the world around them.
The dynamic and talented cast includes Giulia Innocenti (Wuthering Heights, UK tour; A Woman Walks Into a Bank, Theatre503), Frida Cæcilia Rødbroe (Twelfth Night, Tabard Theatre; Regn Med Mere Sol, Bornholm Sommerrevy), who also serves as the Composer, Mikey Ureta (Groove On Down The Road, Queen Elizabeth Hall; Into The Hoods: Remixed, Peacock Theatre), who doubles as the Choreographer, and Nathan Queeley-Dennis (Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz, Royal Court/UK tour; As You Like It, @sohoplace). Completing the cast is Anna Blackburn (Pride & Prejudice (Sort Of), Vienna’s English Theatre; Sister Boniface, BBC) as Assistant Director and Understudy.
The production features design by the winner of the Naomi Wilkinson Award for Stage Design 2025, Sonya Smullen (Three Sisters, WCA Theatre; Wasted, Lyric Hammersmith), puppetry direction by Rachel Leonard (Told By An Idiot: The Cat And The Canary,Chichester Festival Theatre; Would You Bet Against Us,Birmingham Rep), sound design by Esther Kehinde Ajayi (When The Long Trick’s Over, UK tour; Athena, The Yard) and lighting design by Sarah Readman (Whole, UK Tour; The Glass Menagerie, The Yard).
The Naomi Wilkinson Award for Stage Design was established by Told by an Idiot in 2019 in memory of the late theatre set and costume designer Naomi Wilkinson, to recognise emerging designers with a distinctive visual imagination. The Award is generously supported by the Charles Mason and Naomi Wilkinson Foundation and AHA Talent. Without their support, Told by an Idiot would be unable to give this opportunity to female designers at such a pivotal stage of their careers.
A Unicorn Theatre and Told by an Idiot production.
With special thanks to Charles Holloway OBE, Weston Theatre Season Partner.
This post was last modified on October 30, 2025 4:56 pm