Review: A FAIRYTALE FOR CHRISTMAS, Dominion Theatre - Tour
Photo credit: Prestige Productions
Christmas resonates on so many levels and provokes the strongest of reactions. For many, it’s a time for sending cards, exchanging presents and catching up with friends and family. For others, it fills them with dread as it’s a time of reflection and reminiscence. It may unlock painful memories of the past that come into sharp focus. We remember those we have lost and savour the time spent with them during the festive season. At the centre of such sentimental thoughts is the Christmas song. The perennial favourites that greet us like long lost friends are the ultimate memory breakers. The songs that place us in the time and place we first heard them. This delightful show from Seven Productions features some of the greatest Christmas songs ever written with a unique twist of Irish culture thrown in for good measure.
The setting is McGrath's bar in New York, one of many cities in the world to have felt the benefit of Irish patronage. A five strong vocal group are superbly complemented by a six piece dance troupe who have a nifty line in rapid costume changes. The pitch perfect vocal group also double up as instrumentalists, adding real depth to the overall sound. Led by narrator Shane Morgan, Peet Jackson plays banjo, while Caitlin Forbes plays fiddle and Oliver Cave features on guitar. Molly Farmer completes the ensemble with sweet and clear vocals. Naturally, the dancers are styled in the very best traditions of river dance and adapt easily to changes in style and tempo. Consisting of Erin Dallas, Georgia Amery, Hannah Rose Pendlebury, Isabelle Hazeldine, Katie Tone and Rachel Adele Bolsworth, they literally do not put a foot wrong.
The show opens with 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town' and 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day' but are far from straight cover versions, as Irish folk and American country happily mingle with popular yuletide songs. They naturally plunder the back catalogue of the Dubliners, and deliver blistering versions of 'Molly Malone', 'No Nay Never' and the rip roaring 'Irish Rover'. The second half begins with a trio of festive favourites that has the audience stomping and clapping their hands. This is followed by an instrumental break where the dancers executed a stunning routine that nearly takes the roof off. Inevitably, the show is building towards a rendition of 'Fairytale of New York' which is performed with aplomb. The finale features a breezy medley of Christmas hits and a reprise of 'Irish Rover'.
The only downside is a Sunday night outing. Whenever a show of this type comes to London, it always gets the vacant slot on a Sunday night. Which is fine in itself but people are less inclined to go out on that night; these slots are vacant for a reason. A Fairytale for Christmas is Saturday night entertainment and deserves to be treated accordingly.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Brian Penn