The best way to ensure a great Christmas?
Is a night at The Great Christmas Feast.
It’s sold out every single one of the six years it’s been on, and it’s only getting better. For those who haven’t been, it’s a spell-binding show based on A Christmas Carol that invites you into Dickens’ own home for a Dickensian feast gilded with flowing wine and Victorian cocktails, while the author himself – accompanied by a band of talented musicians – recreates the tale before your very eyes in a feat of first-class storytelling.
And right now, they have exclusively discounted preview tickets available (with up to £75 off) which it the only way to get a discount on this iconic experience.
On a suitably frosty evening, you’ll slip away from a dark West London street… and find yourself in the lamplit fog of Dickensian London, navigating the alleyways before finally emerging into a vast space lit almost exclusively by lanterns and candlelight, transformed by some beautiful set design from the creatively gifted Darling & Edge (Gingerline, Secret Cinema, Crystal Maze).
You’ll take your seat – perhaps by Dickens’ writing desk, perhaps in a private booth with your own butler, perhaps by the bathtub – and order a Smoking Bishop to your table (that’s a Victorian cocktail of pinot noir, port, cherry & orange liqueurs and, er, smoke, that’s mentioned in the book). And just as you’ve settled in, the highly charismatic Dickens will come bounding into the room, eager to share the first draft of his latest novella, Oliver Twist II: Yes, You Can Have Some More (working title).
As Dickens begins to weave his tale, the room comes to life with cinematic live music and spine-tingling special effects. Performer Alex Phelps effortlessly embodies each character, switching from cranky old Scrooge to a bawdy Ghost of Christmas Present at the drop of a hat, and peppering the original text with modern asides and liberal amounts of swearing. In fact, the only time he stops for breath is to allow you to enjoy another course of the feast.
Yes, amidst all the excitement you might forget that a three-course Victorian feast is coming your way, courtesy of Dickens’ housekeeper Ursula (also known as The Lost Estate’s Executive Chef Ashley Clarke, who’s cooked for Gordon Ramsay Group, Smokestak, and Temper Soho). This year features a brand new menu of reimagined Victorian classics, from a decadent pressing of corn fed chicken served with pickled beets & samphire relish, to an elegant confit Gressingham duck breast with all the trimmings. But the crowning glory is the rich Twelfth Night Cake accompanied by Christmas pudding ice cream. (And fear not, there are veggie & vegan options on the night.)
The whole experience unfolds seamlessly, casting a little bit of magic for a few hours, and leaving you feeling genuinely connected to a roomful of strangers. You’ll laugh, you may shed a tear, you will learn a rambunctious Victorian dance (and enjoy it).
The Ghost of Christmas Future says you’re going to love it.
NOTE: The Great Christmas Feast runs from 8th November 2024 – 12th January 2025. Tickets start at £135 for dinner & the show – you can find out more, and book tickets at the Lost Estate website.
Discounted Previews: 1st-7th November (25% off) | 8th-14th November (15% off) | 15th-21st November (10% off) | No code needed, discount automatically applied at checkout. BOOK DISCOUNTED TICKETS HERE.
The Lost Estate | 9 Beaumont Ave, W14 9LP
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