The Lost Estate has done it again with The Great Christmas Feast, transforming a West London venue into a convincing portal to 1843. The experience begins before you even reach your seat, with a curated walk-through of Dickens’ London that highlights the stark poverty and workhouses of the era. While the narrative paints Dickens as a struggling artist—a slight historical stretch given his success by that point—it effectively sets the stakes for the story to come.
Inside the main hall, the atmosphere is electric. Decked in holly and lit by flickering lanterns and table oil lamps, the room feels undeniably festive. The conceit is that Charles Dickens welcomes a handful of guests to hear A Christmas Carol read aloud for the very first time. The story is brought to life through a one-man performance with live musicians, alongside a three-course dinner with cocktails - crafted from researched Victorian recipes, inspired by, or even lifted directly from, Dickens’ own archives.
Tama Phethean (who alternates with David Alwyn and André Refig) carries the weight of the evening on his shoulders, shifting effortlessly between the jovial host, the icy Scrooge, and the various ghosts. It is a one-man tour de force, though the script by Adam Clifford occasionally relies on modern colloquialisms that jar slightly against the period setting.
Chef Rob Hallinan has delivered a spectacular menu, and the service is a marvel of choreography, with courses landing seamlessly during the intervals.
Composer Steffan Rees has created a rich soundscape brought to life by Guy Button (violin), Charlotte Kaslin (cello), and Beth Higham-Edwards (percussion). The music does the heavy lifting where visuals cannot, particularly the haunting use of the Coventry Carol during the Tiny Tim sequences, grounded by Higham-Edwards’ captivating percussion.
If there is a critique, it is that the evening feels slightly over-generous in its runtime; we sat at 6.30 and left at 10.30. However, by the time Phethean reaches Scrooge’s redemption, the joy is infectious.
It is a Christmas cracker of a show.
More info: here.
Photos: Hanson Leatherby