The Great Christmas Feast

Immersive heavyweights Lost Estate’s festive edition Great Christmas Feast, takes place in an industrial state in West Kensington. Still, as you sit feasting on ‘potted beef from Spitalfields market’, surrounded by flickering lights and a crowd dressed to the nines in Victorian attire, it’s easy to imagine otherwise. In its eighth year, it’s set on Christmas eve in the house of Charles Dickens himself as he invites you to the first-ever recital of his new tale: A Christmas Carol.

The evening unfolds over nearly four hours, structured around a three-act retelling of A Christmas Carol performed by a single actor. It’s a take on Dickens that is true to history: due to the copyright rules of the time, his emphatic solo performances, often accompanied with lashings of food and wine were infamous. This year, David Alwyn shines as our host. His portrayal of Dickens and every character in the novella is a masterclass in physicality and voice, shifting seamlessly from Scrooge’s sharp irritability to Tiny Tim’s fragile stillness. It’s a big space to own, but he manages to hold the attention of even those still with cutlery in hand.

It's clearly worked its way into the yearly traditions of many, helped in part by the audience participation, where guests are invited to read small roles to roars of laughter from their families. Seeing a stranger humiliate themselves is a lot less funny than seeing one of your own do so, though, so for me, these moments fell flat compared to the rest of the production. The music on the other hand, is fabulous: a trio of musicians on violin, cello and percussion perform a haunting score by Steffan Rees that further transports you back in time. It adds enough class to almost make up for the very hefty ticket prices (starting at £173).

The dining element complements the storytelling beautifully and is more of a highlight than an afterthought: a rare occurrence in theatre and food concepts. The menu begins with “potted” starters- beef, hot-smoked salmon, or cheese, followed by a roast duck leg with crispy potatoes, parsnip purée, and red cabbage. Dessert is a rich Twelfth Night cake paired with brandy butter ice cream: a truly gluttonous affair. The cocktails are also largely divine, the smoking mulled wine (smoking bishop) a personal highlight. The espresso martini is less drinkable, but after almost completing the drink menu, it was a blessing in disguise.