‘The Great Christmas Feast’ at The Lost Estate is not simply an immersive dining experience, it is an invitation to step out of ordinary time and into a world where story, sensation and emotional truth are allowed to unfold gently and without haste.
From the moment you arrive, there is a perceptible softening, the outside world recedes, the body eases into relaxation, and you are quietly ushered into a space that feels warm, intimate and carefully held. For this fine and extraordinary occasion we as the audience are gently encouraged to wear whatever we feel good in (bar jeans and trainers), to dress up, be it sparkles, puff sleeves, dresses with velvet and Victorian touches. For men their finest waistcoats and pocket watches would certainly add a little extra panache to the event. Walking in I could clearly see people had made great efforts to dress up for this experience and it certainly added to the feel and mood of the performance. Thank goodness I too was in my sparkly outfit, I felt I slotted in quite well amongst the gentry.
The environment is richly sensual. Candlelight flickers against deep, burnished tones, velvet, wood and glass catch the eye, the ambience is warm and inviting and for a matinee performance/dining experience it felt like night time. The live music drifts through the room like something half-remembered rather than newly heard. There is anticipation in the air, but also reassurance, a sense that you do not need to perform, rush or impress. The evening breathes, and in doing so, it invites you to breathe with it.
Upon taking my seat in Charlies Circle Royale, the best seats in the house no doubt, with VIP luxury seating, including a glass of champagne, poured in my case by Mr Giles - what a charming fellow! Also included are canapés on arrival, after-dinner digestif, three-course festive feast and all accompanied by the wonderful Charles Dickens storytelling where we are transported to the night Dickens read A Christmas Carol for the first time.
Regarding the food, I opted for the vegetarian menu and was incredibly impressed with not only the rich flavours and appeal of the food, but its attention to detail looking like a work of art on the plate. For my starter, I was served Potted Cheese (Covent Garden) which was absolutely divine. Then followed by King Oyster and Shitake Mushroom Pithivier for my main course served with roast potatoes, spiced parsnip purée, mulled red cabbage, confit garlic and winter herbs. As a vegetarian it can sometimes feel challenging to please our taste buds, but oh my goodness this dish was perfection and I enjoyed every morsel. To finish there was Twelfth Night Cake served with brandy butter ice cream. The timing was just right, I never felt rushed to finish my food or that there were big gaps in-between acts. In fact the food is woven seamlessly into the narrative, arriving not as an interruption but as a continuation of the experience. Each course feels generous and grounding, designed to comfort and nourish rather than overwhelm. There is definitely indulgence as part of the experience here, warmth, richness, celebration and eating becomes a sensual anchor, rooting you in your body while the emotional landscape of the evening unfolds around you.
At the heart of the experience is the central performance, led by David Alwyn, whose presence provides both gravity and ease. His performance is emotionally intelligent, nuanced and quietly magnetic. Playing Dickens, Scrooge, Marley, Tiny Tim and other characters with electrifying energy, he brings great depth to the room. Rather than commanding the room, he draws it towards him, creating intimacy through truthfulness rather than force. There is a deep sense of trust in his delivery, trust in the audience, in the material, and in the emotional complexity of the story being told. Through him, the performance finds its emotional coherence and human warmth.
Alwyn was very charismatic and his stage presence was obvious. It can’t be denied his adaptability and ease of the way he flowed from character to character was exquisite.
What truly distinguishes The Lost Estate is its approach to audience participation. This is immersive theatre that understands vulnerability and consent. Engagement is invited, never demanded. The boundary between observer and participant softens slowly, allowing moments of connection to emerge organically rather than theatrically. At one point, I found myself stepping onto the stage as Mrs Mouldsworth for a breakup scene, a moment that could easily have felt me feeling exposed or self-conscious, but instead became unexpectedly tender and resonant and I felt confident to be held by the performers, by Alwyn’s steady presence, and by the attentive intelligence of the room. The scene was fun, but it also fundamentally touched something real, the quiet ache of parting, the weight of unspoken truths, the familiar experience of love shifting shape rather than ending cleanly. It was surprisingly moving, a reminder of how art can meet us precisely where we are, even when we haven’t planned for it.
I was invited up again for a merry dance with Dickens himself (Alwyn) and I always felt secure in the moment with Alwyn taking the lead, and my hand.
There is a great deal of emotional care in how moments like the break-up scene are handled. Humour, intimacy and lightness, nostalgia and presence are allowed to coexist without being rushed towards resolution.
The experience trusts its audience to feel, to reflect, and to carry their own meanings away with them.
By the time the evening draws to a close, you don’t feel as though you’ve simply attended a Christmas event. You feel as though you’ve shared something, a fleeting sense of community, a story that briefly included you, a moment where imagination, sensation and emotional honesty were allowed to lead.
The Lost Estate Christmas Feast is warm, sensual and quietly brave. It doesn’t demand attention, it invites you in warmly, gently and if you’re willing to accept that invitation, it offers something that stays with you long after you leave.
To book final tickets : https://christmasfeast.thelostestate.com
Reviewer: Mary Fogg
On: 31st December 2025
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