If you can recite “A Christmas Carol” by heart, then this isn’t your play. Well, maybe it is.

Whidbey Play House’s production of “Inspecting Carol” is a welcome break from the monotony of the traditional “Nutcracker” or “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The show, which opens Dec. 3, is a play about a play.

“We wanted to do something a bit different this year,” the show’s producer Ken Grigsby said. “It’s a real funny show.”

Which it is, but be warned, this isn’t the Carol you think it is. Several four-letter words are mixed in with the witty spoof of a struggling theater company putting on its umpteenth production of “A Christmas Carol.”

The company is at risk of closing because they fear a poor review from an inspector with the National Endowment for the Arts, which would mean the loss of all of its funds.

Tony-award winning playwright Daniel Sullivan penned the script for the show, which runs through Dec. 18.

The play chronicles actors who are trying to find themselves but are looking in all the wrong places. The company is failing and the director is heading toward a nervous breakdown.

Sight gags and wit perforate the dialogue to satiate the hunger for change, something Grigsby said is a good thing.

“That’s why I wanted to see us do it — it’s not your typical holiday show,” he said.

The second act shows the performers struggling to wade through a rehearsal and subsequently an actual performance of the show.

Each time the scene breaks down, the cast must thrust itself into a deeper circle of acting hell, which for the audience is a good thing. Although the sudden stops are a bit perplexing and drag at times, this is no fault of the performers.

Grigsby said the challenge was to find good actors who can act bad, not just bad actors. Grigsby found several good ones.

Fernando Duran, who plays the well-meaning but completely inept Wayne Wellacre, has been in 11 consecutive performances in the region. He plays the extroverted theater ham with aplomb.

Elizabeth Powell falls into the character of M.J. all too easily. M.J. is a feisty, outspoken director who has accepted the dismal situation of the theater company.

For those looking to break the tradition of the usual Yule-time play, this is it, but be aware, some of the dialogue gets a little risque.

Fine tune your holiday

Let Whidbey Playhouse fill you with Christmas spirit. “Inspecting Carol” opens Saturday, Dec. 3 and runs weekends through Dec. 18.

Bad theater was never this much fun before. Tickets are $12. Groups of 10 or more receive a $1 discount on each ticket. Show times are 7:30 p.m. for Thursday nights, 8 p.m., for Friday and Saturday nights, and 2:30 p.m., for the Sunday matinee.

Whidbey Playhouse is at 730 SE Midway Blvd., Oak Harbor. Call 679-2237 or e-mail at playhous@whidbey.net.