Bad Education

With a glut of costumes, Christmas songs and festive trappings, the ‘Bad Education’ Christmas special is far from an understated affair. Forced to put on a play by elf/headmaster Simon (Mat Horne), the reluctant but unfazed Alfie (Jack Whitehall) must use the questionable student talent at his disposal to stage a story which incorporates every major world religion.

Sensitivity and subtlety not being Alfie’s fortes, the ‘Robocop’- ‘Nutcracker’ hybrid that he creates isn’t exactly traditional Christmas fare. Silly, fun and light-hearted, ‘Bad Education’ is patchy and seldom cerebral, but it still makes for an entertaining half-hour. Filled with puns, cultural references, extravagant dance routines and displaying a distinct lack of either taste or tact, it’s a gaudy smorgasbord of verbal and physical comedy. Even the most committed of scrooges may find this raises a smile.