Photo credit: Thursford
Thursford is an experience – one that everyone who loves Christmas should discover at least once in their lifetime. Set in the heart of Norfolk, the Thursford Collection offers so much more than just its famous Christmas Spectacular.
Within the grounds, visitors can enjoy the Enchanted Journey of Light, a spectacular light trail featuring some exceptional lantern displays, including several new additions for 2026. For younger visitors, there is also Santa’s Magical Journey, a walk-through experience filled with fantastical characters, including snowmen, elves and giant teddy bears helping to load Santa’s sleigh. The journey culminates, of course, with a visit to the big man himself!
Following Santa’s Magical Journey, visitors can also see the steam engines, which are moved out of the museum to make way for the Christmas Spectacular’s impressive stage production.
Now, onto the pièce de résistance: the Christmas Spectacular itself.
Set inside the steam engine museum, the atmosphere is wonderfully festive from the moment you walk through the doors. Hundreds of fairy lights twinkle across the ceiling and adorn the wreaths, while the stage, featuring the famous Wurlitzer organ and beautifully decorated Christmas trees either side, creates the perfect setting for the show.
Now in its 49th year, it must be quite a challenge to keep the production feeling fresh and exciting year after year, particularly with a finite collection of Christmas songs and carols to draw upon. However, Thursford continues to deliver a show that feels every bit as spectacular as its name suggests.
Production begins on 12 January, with the show finalised in April before auditions get underway in June. More than 1,000 singers and 750 dancers apply for roles, with rehearsals beginning shortly afterwards. The dedication and preparation are evident throughout, particularly among the dancers, whose precision, timing and synchronisation are exceptional.
One particularly impressive dance sequence in the second half features ‘Stars and Stripes Forever’, ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ and ‘I Saw Three Ships’. Using box props that spell out 'Merry Christmas', the dancers demonstrate incredible precision and fluidity. Their movements are perfectly synchronised, and the sheer level of skill on display is remarkable.
The show opens with singers making their way through the aisles, performing a medley that includes ‘Another Op'nin', Another Show’ and ‘De-Lovely’. It's a wonderful introduction, showcasing an excellent blend of vocals and harmonies.
We are then introduced to Steve Hewlett, the ventriloquist, who brings along Arthur Lager, a character who takes a particular liking to Pauline in the audience, as well as Pongo the Skunk. It makes a welcome change from last year's compere, Lloyd Hollett, adding another dimension to the performance through the puppetry and humour. We are even treated to a special appearance from Archie Andrews, the schoolboy puppet originally made famous by Peter Brough in the 1950s.
Hewlett appears three times across the two acts, bringing a different collection of jokes each time. Pongo the Skunk is undoubtedly the standout character. Hewlett somehow manages to give the puppet what feels like genuine facial expressions, which is a remarkable talent in itself.
The show also features a fantastic collection of speciality performers, each bringing something different to the stage.
Royer & Emilie are a roller-skating duo who perform some truly death-defying moves. One particularly jaw-dropping trick is a variation of the headbanger, similar to those seen on Dancing on Ice, where Emilie is supported only by her skates around Royer's neck as he spins. It's an incredible feat of strength, balance and trust.
The Piotrowski Brothers are hand-to-hand performers who deliver equally impressive routines. Their strength and control leave the audience gasping, wondering just how they manage to support each other's body weight while executing such challenging moves.
Bede Nash, a hula-hoop artist from Australia, also manages to defy the laws of gravity with an extraordinary display of hoop manipulation.
However, the standout speciality performer is Karina Pesker. Performing inside a large wheel, she delivers a breathtaking routine set to music from some much-loved films, including Titanic, The Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean. What makes her performance particularly impressive is how beautifully she adapts her movements and tempo to complement each piece of music.
For Titanic, her movements are slow, elegant and deliberate as she gracefully rolls across the stage. In contrast, Pirates of the Caribbean brings a much faster-paced routine, with more daring tricks and rapid movement around the wheel. Her skill, control and artistry are simply incredible.
The highlight of the entire production comes at the beginning of the second act.
With the main lights dimmed, leaving only the gentle twinkle of the fairy lights and the glow of the white-lit Christmas trees, the singers enter carrying candles and dressed in choir robes. They begin with ‘O Holy Night’, and it is nothing short of magical.
The harmonies are beautiful, the voices wonderfully smooth, and the atmosphere completely captivating. They then move into ‘Aranjuez Ma Pensée’, creating a nostalgic and truly magical feeling of Christmas.
It is a particularly special moment because everything is stripped back. Gone are the bright lights and elaborate staging; instead, the focus is entirely on the music, the voices and the emotion of the moment. It is a lovely reminder that sometimes the simplest performances can be the most powerful.
Other highlights include the traditional finale of ‘White Christmas’, which brings all the performers back together for one final swansong. There is also a wonderful version of ‘That's What I'd Like for Christmas’, performed in Victorian dress, alongside a 1970s medley of disco hits. While disco might initially seem a little out of place in a Christmas production, given that the Spectacular first began in the 1970s, it feels entirely appropriate!
The musicians also have their moment to shine in the second act, gathering on stage for a violin solo accompanied by the dancers performing an Irish dance routine. Once again, the level of talent on display is exceptional.
Led by conductor Benjamin Ellin, the orchestra provides the backbone of the entire production. The musicians are wonderfully synchronised and deliver a superb accompaniment throughout. Ellin also gets his own moment to showcase his skills, alongside a rather amusing encounter with Arthur Lager in the second half – a welcome reminder that there is plenty of humour alongside the musical excellence.
And then there are the costumes. Quite simply, they are incredible. The amount of work that must go into designing, creating and maintaining such an extensive wardrobe must be immense. With different casts and themed sections throughout the production, coordinating so many beautiful costumes is no easy task. Yet they play such an important part in bringing the spectacle to life, and the show simply wouldn't be the same without them.
Thursford is just as exceptional this year as ever. It manages to combine outstanding musical performances, breathtaking speciality acts, incredible choreography and beautiful festive staging into a production that genuinely captures the magic of Christmas.
The Christmas Spectacular runs until the day before Christmas Eve and attracts visitors from all over the country. If you don't fancy making the journey by car, it's worth looking into local coach trips.
Whether you're a first-time visitor or returning for another year, Thursford Christmas Spectacular is an experience that shouldn't be missed.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Emma Littler
Thursford Christmas Spectacular plays until 23 December, with further info here.
