A CHRISTMAS CAROL comes to life at The Lost Estate's THE GREAT CHRISTMAS FEAST
Photo credit: Supplied by the production
It’s Christmas Eve, 1843, and you’re an honoured guest in the writer Charles Dickens’ parlour. You have been invited to hear him share his newest ghostly festive story, A Christmas Carol.
The tables are set, the snow falls outside and over the course of the night, you watch and listen as Dickens himself introduces you to his entrancing spectral characters, in what will become the world’s most famous cautionary tale.
Running from 6 November - 31 December, the immersive experience transports guests into Charles Dickens’ candlelit parlour, where they become his honoured guests for what is imagined as the very first telling of his newest ghostly Christmas story: A Christmas Carol.
Created by immersive performance company The Lost Estate, the experience brings together live theatre, cinematic music, Victorian dining and detailed world-building to transform a night out into something much closer to stepping inside Dickens’ London.
Behind a door in West Kensington, audiences enter a world of snow-dusted streets, lantern-lit alleys and Victorian interiors before arriving inside Dickens’ richly dressed parlour, where the feast is laid and the story is about to begin.
At the centre of the experience is David Alwyn, whose credits include Secret Cinema and The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience, taking on the role of Charles Dickens and moving between narrator and character to bring Scrooge, Marley, Tiny Tim and the rest of Dickens’ famous story to life.
His performance is accompanied by a live cinematic score composed by The Lost Estate’s Composer in Residence Steffan Rees, performed by violinist Guy Button, percussionist Beth Higham-Edwards, and cellist Kieran Carter. The music runs throughout the evening, shifting with Dickens’ story and drawing audiences further into its ghostly Victorian world.
Of course, no evening in Dickens’ home would be complete without a feast.
Inspired by Dickens’ reputation as a generous host, The Lost Estate’s Head Chef Ben Sutcliffe, formerly of Hawksmoor and Temper Restaurants, has created a three-course Victorian Christmas menu using seasonal flavours inspired by the food that might have appeared on Dickens’ own table. And every detail of the service is carried by Victorian waitstaff.
The feast centres on a choice of Confit Gressingham Duck Leg or King Oyster Mushroom Pithivier, accompanied by spiced braised cabbage, honey roasted parsnips, roast potatoes, chestnuts and stuffing and bread sauce.
Guests can also drink their way into Victorian London with seasonal cocktails including the Smoking Bishop, Pear Tree Cup and Rumfustian, served alongside wine, ale and soft drinks from Dickens’ recreated cellar.
Since launching nine years ago, The Great Christmas Feast has sold out every season, quietly becoming one of London’s festive traditions.