'The harsher side of Christmas': Santa Fe Playhouse stages an absurdist dark comedy for the holidays

For those already weary of the deluge of saccharine holiday productions, the Santa Fe Playhouse presents an acidic alternative.

Penned by Scottish playwright Anthony Neilson, the adult holiday comedy “The Night Before Christmas” opens in a London warehouse where two men deal questionable merchandise.

Set in a world of petty criminals, where every child’s toy has apparently fallen off a truck, this Christmas takes the form of a suspicious-looking white powder.

It’s a frenetic 70 minutes of expletive-laden, lewd, absurdist dark comedy.

The play opens on Thursday, Nov. 30, running through Dec. 23.

“It’s an adult comedy show, meaning it’s cheeky, it’s fun, it’s bawdy,” said director Emily Rankin. “It’s about the way the Christmas spirit changes as we get older, what Christmas was like when we were kids and what it’s like as we are adults.”

Amiable buffoon Gary apprehends an elf breaking into the warehouse. He debates with his friend Simon whether to call the police.

Gary ties up the elf with fairy lights while he and Simon debate his fate.

Simon thinks the elf is simply a thieving druggie opportunist, festively dressed up and with a good line in spinning tales. Their captive protests that he’s not a thief but represents an “international gift distribution agency” and has merely slipped off his sleigh.

The discussion curdles with the arrival of Cherry, a straight-talking sex worker whose son is due a set of Power Rangers as payment for services she’s performed for Gary.

“Not to give too much away, we find out the Christmas spirit is an addictive substance,” Rankin said.

In the process, the characters expose their own misgivings over the true spirit of Christmas.

First produced in 1995, “The Night Before Christmas” has been brought up-to-date with a smattering of current(ish) pop-culture references (Simon Cowell and Power Rangers?).

The play offers more questions than it provides answers.

“Is the Christmas spirit something that can be recaptured or is it only for kids?” Rankin asked. “It examines the harsher side of Christmas.”

Gary has been through a divorce and wonders if he will see his child over the holidays. The elf insists that if Gary and the embittered Simon don’t let him go, he’ll die and Christmas will have to be cancelled.

“Life isn’t always what you expect it to be,” Rankin said. “There are a lot of hurts that pile up. Christmas can be a painful time.”