Fairytale of New York, UK Tour Review (2024)
Written by Hollie for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
If you are looking for an entertainment show that will give you lots of laughs and prepare you for the festive season along with an Irish twist, then this is the show for you!
As the audience took their seats at Leicester’s De Montfort Hall, the lights shone on a backdrop of the skyscrapers of New York, with snow and twinkly lights adding to the scene. The cast members told the story of how they were reminiscing in Central Park but dreaming of being back in the hills of Ireland.
The show then opens with the famous song ‘Santa Claus is coming to town’ and along with traditional Irish dancers and musicians, the chorus of characters sing and perform a medley of Christmas tunes and Irish folk songs throughout the evening.
You will want to don your sequins and grab your jingle bells whilst singing along to some popular songs including ‘Little Drummer Boy’ ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ and ‘Dirty Old Town.’ Everyone can enjoy a good ol’ Irish sing along and many audience members were merrily singing and dancing along, well ‘tis the season!
The guitarist was particularly talented not only with his instrument playing skills but also with his singing voice. The other singers at times were great, but at others just couldn’t hold the notes, so the consistency wasn’t there for the whole show. The Irish dancers when performing their traditional dances or tap dancing were spectacular, but when they were essentially filling time at some points, the choreography wasn’t the best.
One of the cast members stated in jest ‘If you are not from Ireland, get out!’ and he wasn’t wrong! At times, the show felt very much like an in-joke that we were not a part of. The show was not at all what we were expecting and the sense of humour was often lost on us throughout.
However, this show is direct from the West End and has previously sold out three tours. This show does raise the spirit of Christmas and the predominantly Irish audience thoroughly enjoyed themselves whilst sharing Irish history and culture with everyone there. The sound from the variety of instruments provided a beautiful ambience in the expansive space and the ensemble were incredibly talented.
If you are looking for a wonderful time at Christmas with family and friends whilst singing a range of songs from the Emerald Isle, then book this show.
Fairytale of New York continues its tour around the UK and Ireland including venues such as ‘The Glasshouse’ in Gateshead and ‘The Corn Exchange’ in Cambridge before concluding the tour at ‘Waterfront’ in Belfast.
★★★.5
