Rating: ★★★★
Venue: Brick Lane Music Hall
Cast: Vincent Hayes MBE, Victoria Yellop, Andrew Robley, William Byrne and Lucy Reed, Samantha McNeil, Jake Lawrence and Charlotte Fage
Come and celebrate the festive season at Brick Lane music hall. A good old fashioned Christmas show, jam packed with comedy, carols and Christmas classics! Audience participation is greatly encouraged. Keeping the tradition of music hall alive, you can enjoy a three course festive lunch or afternoon tea along with the show. When the curtains lift, you will be treated to a great Christmas show full of singing, dancing, and festive fun!
With Christmas fast approaching and so many new Christmas theatre shows cropping up each year, it's difficult to know where to get your festive fix. If you're looking for a few hours of festive joy and laughter, look no further than The Magic of Christmas. The venue is tucked away in a quiet part of London, but is one of the most striking buildings I've ever visited. Reminiscent of the Victorian gothic era with its high ceilings and striking décor, it's difficult not to feel instantly transported back in time.
The Magic of Christmas is more of a variety show than anything else, with singing, instrument solos and comedy interwoven throughout the three-hour run time, with an interval consisting of afternoon tea (or a three-course dinner) included in your ticket price. Vincent Hayes is our host with the most for the duration of the production, providing light-hearted laughter, and bursting with wit and quick ad-libs. His passion for the venue is clear and as well as providing entertainment, he takes time to educate about the building and the importance its played in his illustrious career.
A mention must first go to Scott Hayes, the show's musical director. The arrangements managed to feel sweeping and bold, yet somehow intimate in such a grand building. Most of the afternoon was focused on Christmas music, with sections devoted to many festive favourites such as Christmas carols, Christmas pop, films...and even Country Christmas. There was definitely something for everyone to start embracing the Christmas spirit!
While the entire ensemble singing onstage are fantastic, Charlotte Fage, a member of the Brick Lane Music Hall company, is the standout of the show, providing vocals that are worthy of any West End leading lady. With a magnetising charm whenever she's onstage and vocals reminiscent of Julie Andrews herself, she's a force to be reckoned with. Another highlight was the medley performed by violinist, Victoria Yellop. Her performance of "When You Wish Upon a Star" while glittering onstage like the Blue Fairy herself moved me to tears.
There are lots of opportunities to singalong and dance, which only heightens the festivities; this is particularly the case during the second half where the show itself feels much more vibrant and full of life and colour. Speaking of the vibrancy of the production, the lighting (Kevin Roach) and costume designs (Zara Kattan) are simply phenomenal. With it being a Christmas show, there's obviously a lot of red and green hues, but the lighting manages to fit the vibe of every song perfectly. As for the costume design, I've never seen a production with so many changes - full of glamour and sparkle, as you'd expect.
With free-flowing tea and coffee before the show, we're then treated to an afternoon tea during the interval, whereby you're given around 90 minutes to enjoy your food...and of course, more free-flowing hot drinks! The traditional afternoon tea comes with a variety of sandwiches, a scone and selection of sweet treats, like a mince pie. Being gluten free, mine was served separately and not in a three-tiered cake stand like everyone else's - but boy, did the portion sizes make up for it! As well as the sandwiches, I received a scone, mince pie and slice of lemon cheesecake (which were all substantially bigger than the standard version, and absolutely delicious!).
A delightful festive treat for all the senses, that truly does celebrate and capture the magic of Christmas time!
You can book tickets to The Magic of Christmas, here.
**photo credit: Lucy Hayes**
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