Publican’s Bob, Rob and Bert have had it up to HERE with their best and only customer, the odious Michael Malloy. After taking out life insurance from the devilish Samuel Atan, the three Roberts stand to collect a fortune in the event of Malloy’s demise. Unfortunately things prove more difficult than expected as Malloy seems to be indestructible. In fact, the Roberts find that their very souls may be at stake as their greed is piled into a sack and beaten over their heads by their own hubris. A whole host of zany little characters alternately attempt to tempt and redeem our unruly heroes in this morality play to remind us what Christmas is truly about. Money. 

Pummel Squad’s first annual Christmas Pantomime. Driven by a spirit of festivity and joy, the Owl of the Woods endeavours to answer the often begged question of, ‘What would it be like if an alternative theatre group made a Christmas Pantomime?’ intertwining elements of folktales, morality plays with Australian pub culture and stories like ‘The Magic Pudding’, audiences are gruntingly but enchantingly serenaded to a supper of carrots, ham and sticky date pud. Poor theatre is the go word in a Christmas fairy tale built exclusively from cardboard, newspaper and paper-mache to the backdrop of providing our esteemed spectators with goon and cheap beer. Is this show about Christmas at all? No, not really. 

Created by Cooper Donald McDonald, Ludomyr Kemp-Mykyta and Harry McGee

Performed by Cooper Donald McDonald, Ludomyr Kemp-Mykyta, Harry McGee, Brooke Arblaster, Molly Holohan, Will Hall, Maddison Formosa, Samuel Buckley, Damon Baudin and Stefan Kemp-Mykyta

2023 Performed at St Ambrose Hall

Documentation by Abdul Min Muhaimin