We’re getting to know the team behind our two Christmas shows, Beauty and the Beast and The Ugly Duckling, by playing our new favourite game… Beauty vs Ugly. We asked Heidi Niemi, playing Everybody Elsie in The Ugly Duckling, and Beauty and the Beast’s Martin Bonger to vote ‘Beauty’ or ‘Ugly’ to some time-honoured festive traditions.
Waking up early
Heidi: Beauty! Christmas is once a year, so I want to take everything out of it!
Martin: Ugly. More sleep please.
Christmas songs in November
Heidi: Beauty. November is fine, but any time earlier is a no no.
Martin: Beauty. Happened the other day and loved it.
Carol singers
Heidi: Beauty. Yes love them, but I prefer singing with them.
Martin: Beauty.
Tinsel
Heidi: Beauty. Uuh… just a little bit though, not over the top.
Martin: Ugly. They sort of fall apart and they pollute the ocean.
Eggnog
Heidi: Ugly. Never tasted! Not a tradition in Finland. It sounds disgusting, although one of my characters in The Ugly Duckling would love it – she’s mad about eggs!
Martin: Never had one… Ugly?
Last minute gift shopping
Heidi: Ugly. Well, you can get very good discounts last minute but personally I try to avoid this. Not worth the stress!
Martin: Standard… Beauty!
Christmas jumpers
Heidi: Beauty. I love them! Again this is not a tradition in Finland, but I need to get one this year! With some glitter of course.
Martin: Beauty. Making yourself look stupid is a good thing.
Sprouts
Heidi: Beauty. What is it? Some sort of vegetable? I like it…
Martin: Beauty. Tasty!
Cheese board
Heidi: Beauty. Yes, yes and yes! I could live just off cheese.
Martin: Big beauty. Delicious!
Fake Christmas trees
Heidi: Ugly. Awful! In my family we get the tree from our forest or the neighbours’.
Martin: Ugly. Same as the tinsel, they fall to bits and it’s depressing!
Queen’s Speech
Heidi: Never heard, but this is the first Christmas that I’m spending in the UK, so definitely will check her out.
Martin: Ugly. I’ve never listened to it… But I feel like for a lot of people it’s a big time beauty.
Both Beauty and the Beast and The Ugly Duckling run until Sun 14 January 2018 at Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol. See more on their show pages.
Posted on 21 December 2017
