Notional Theatre

Launching the Buxton Festival Fringe Programme.

After Buxton  a mad dash to the Guildford Fringe.

Three nights as part of the Greater Manchester Fringe. Grotto was at the Kings Arms Theatre in Salford.

And, finally, in the summer tour of Festivals, Grotto was at  the Arts Centre in Shaftesbury.

Here's the link for the Riverside Studios: https://riversidestudios.co.uk/see-and-do/grotto-98677/.

GROTTO wins Edinburgh Fringe 2023 award!
TOP SHOW CHUGGER
the inaugural Show Chugger prize goes to Terry Victor & Grotto.

Thrilled to win this award for Grotto. The cash prize (!) was accompanied by a money box and a hat. This pic is an actual mock up of Santa accepting the bragger's rights.

Meanwhile...
Terry filmed an altogether more wholesome Santa (for the US only at the mo) with a celebrity chef.

Here's the GROTTO tour pack
f you would like a copy of the  Grotto Tour Pack in your inbox  drop a line to tv@notionaltheatre.com
GROTTO previewed at the New Wimbledon Theatre Studio on June 6th. This was posted on Facebook by a member of the audience: 'If you’re in Edinburgh it’s a must see. Terry Victor is magnetic, we saw the preview at the New Wimbledon Theatre - great performance, great writing, darkly funny, audience in palm of his hand.'

GROTTO is the first Notional flourish since lockdown... . Dates are lining up, tickets will be on sale.
Our first time at the Edinburgh Fringe since 2017 (was it really that long ago?) with a show called Well Thumbed - Here's a bit of a published audience review of that outing: "cry your make-up off hilarious',

GROTTO is unseasonable, unreasonable & unsuitable for brats. A legendary figure has signed in for some of out-of-season rehab. Is he the real thing, or another unemployed actor in between Santa gigs? Created and performed by Terry Victor, a jolly fat man who has seen the GROTTO from the dark side: expect juicy namedrops, super-salacious Santa secrets and naff Xmas rapping zhoushed with a bijou touch of drag.
There can only be one Santa but as more and more of the legend’s diverse personalities show up it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas will never be the same. Seeing is believing.
Huge thanks to Steve Purbrick for getting this site moving. ...and a mention for www.wherecanwego.com.

"Grotto was a fast moving and well written script performed by Santa Claus - yes the REAL Santa Claus! A thoroughly entertaining show during the Riverside Studios bite-size shows." ★★★★ Audience Club

Here's a picture of a pre-show Santa at the Riverside Studios:

"Harsh, funny and simply staged, Grotto feels like the sort of show the Edinburgh Fringe was invented for; something a bit unique, memorable and bizarre. But in a fun way." Starburst Magazine ★★★★

Grotto...

is best described as silly, sassy and subversive,,,.

Or, in the words of audience members in Wimbledon and Edinburgh:

"In his latest one man show, Terry Victor fizzes with all the energy and danger of a lighted stick of dynamite...."

"Grotto takes us on a white knuckle sleighride to the dark heart of Christmas... "

"This is truly what the Fringe was created for, a creative and wonderfully batsh*t performance that I will struggle to forget any time soon. A must see!"

Then there's this (5/5) Audience Club review of GROTTO at the PEN Theatre

"We loved it, so funny from beginning to end, would highly recommend seeing it.... The performance was dynamic and made us feel part of something exciting and special."

Here's the full Starburst review

"One-person tell-all celebrity shows usually feature folk who are no longer famous. Grotto, however, features a genuine superstar, Santa Claus himself.

Comedian Terry Victor embodies the role of Santa here, and Grotto is very much a one-man show. Mr Claus takes pains to tell his audience that he’s the original Santa Claus, not Father Christmas or Papa Noel; rather, he’s the white-bearded, red-and-white uniformed creature who comes once a year. Down your chimney. And yes, every innuendo is intended.

The set-up is pretty simple; Santa has had it rough recently and has mostly been binge-watching Drag Race and over-indulging whilst waiting for the big day to come around. We first see the legend in full Santa costume, but that slowly strips away as Santa reveals more about himself in a way that can be described more as burly-esque than burlesque.

This is, quite simply, excellent character work. Santa isn’t exactly a likeable character here; he’s loud, spoiled, and really only interested in wine, song and a bit of fun. The show is absolutely packed with puns and innuendo throughout, as well as shaggy dog stories about the various celebrities that the seasonal legend has encountered throughout the years. This is a show for grown-ups who have forgotten what it’s like to sit on Santa’s knee and perhaps regret remembering.

Grotto is quite a weird idea for a show and made stranger through its brutally funny execution. It’s interesting to watch the character slowly unravel before our eyes (both figuratively and literally), and at times, this is a little uncomfortable. But that’s the point; we often treat real celebs as if they were mythical creatures and expect them to fall apart for our entertainment, so why not treat Santa the same way?

Harsh, funny and simply staged, Grotto feels like the sort of show the Edinburgh Fringe was invented for; something a bit unique, memorable and bizarre. But in a fun way."

and the poster....