The Great Christmas Feast

The Lost Estate

Go back in time to Christmas in 1834 with Charles Dickens. An immersive experience where you are told a 'Christmas Carol', shown it and given it to taste. Is it worth the price point?

Charles Dickens was dead to begin with... he was, and before you enter the experience room, you walk through a corridor filled with context—an exhibit of Dickens' life and the world around him. Then you walk through a door, and you are warmly welcomed to a Christmas celebration. You get seated at a table, and the host will talk you through how the feast works, what to expect, and of course, the menu. Once you've chosen your food and drinks, the festivities begin. Charles Dickens is played by the eccentric and energetic David Alwyn.

It's essentially a real-life Fezziwig party, and it's as fun as you make it. You have to throw yourself into the festive fun. The feast is something a little different, and the menu clearly shows how close the creatives have tried to stick to the traditional vibe. You can even get traditional mince pies... TRADITIONAL, so that means fruit and REAL MINCE!

Having just one actor and musicians is a choice that provokes a lot of thought, because it reminds you that Dickens made this story, and it's his voice. It's a Christmas classic that has been reproduced into adaptation after adaptation. This production stands out from the crowd because it feels like you've gone back in time to Dickens when he finished the story, and you feel as though you are his nearest and dearest first readers. It's not just another version on stage. You believe that Alwyn is Dickens in the room with you. The performance is engaging, energetic, and you're fixated on the story. The jumping in and out of the story to address the audience is almost like Dickens is trying to sell you his story, and prove to the audience that a 'Christmas Carol' is the next best thing. It's him putting on the show to sell his story and get noticed. David Alwyn is an entrancing actor. How he jumps from character to character is astonishing, and the execution of how he does it is intricate in terms of the attention he puts into mannerisms, stance and speech. You will be taken aback by how well he understands his characters and does not make any mistakes. This reminds the audience of how Dickens had ownership of his own story; he knows it best.

Being in the room is an honour; the experience is something special and traditionally festive. It reminds you of what Christmas is all about and how special this time of the year truly is. The room is filled with Christmas decorations, lights and atmosphere. Down to stone oval windows to take you back in time by reminding you of the architecture, the lighting adds to the atmosphere, because it makes it seem like the outside is blue, and there is snow stuck to the window. It is the perfect Christmas setting, and the creative team have gone to town to construct this warm, traditional and British environment. One thing to remember is your setting, you are in 1834, so the food you recieve is put together with what was avaliable in that time period in mind. Each meal is something a bit different, not what you are used to and this helps take you on this festive journey. The drinks on offer help enhance the experience, by giving your taste buds a festive delight, embellishing the meal and setting your spirits loose.

What a unique evening, that should be experienced by all this festive season! I can see why it has ran for so long, it's a delight and the more you think about each detail, the more you realise and appreciate the thought that has gone into constructing the experience itself. Remember, it very much is an immersive experience. The room is big and at times where you are sat can impact your vision of some scenes, as the actor moves from area to area and this means a lot of turning round in many directions. This is common from immersive experiences though and means that every audience member has closer and personal moments. The inclusion of audience does slow down the performance, but also shows how Dickens is trying to get people involved to have a closer look at his work through experience to appreciate it and stay engaged. It's a bit of fun! It's a very long performance and the price of tickets is rather high. I think it is worth the money in terms of service, experience and the effort that has gone into the design and food. However, it should be more accessable for more people to come and remember the traditions of the festive season. It's a heart warming, captivating piece of Christmas theatre and it has a heavy purpose! Astonishing work in all areas and I hope I can go again, I'll make sure to have some champagne next time!