Fairytale of New York

Ebba Haastrup completed the instrumental line-up with her mind-blowing fiddle playing, creating the Irish backbone to many of the night’s numbers. If Ebba’s fiddle playing somehow wasn’t enough to take you back, then there is no doubt her stunning vocal performances would have been.

Incredible vocal performances was a common theme throughout the night, with the most memorable of all coming from Natalie Crowther’s beautiful rendition of ‘O Holy Night’. As soon as her performance began I was hit with goosebumps, formed in awe of the vocal masterpiece that was unwinding in front of me, with the crowd showing the deserved appreciation when the song finished.

The vocal section was completed by the addition of Leanne Kyte a few songs into the show. Leanne was another standout performer on the night and could lay a fair claim to being one of the most important members of the production. Not only is Leanne Kyte a world class vocalist, but she is also a choreography maestro, choreographing all of the night’s dance performances as well as being the dance captain. She really is a jack of all trades and yet somehow seemingly a master of all.

The Irish-themed music of this production alone would have been enough entertainment, but a spectacular ensemble of dancers, delivering Leanne Kyte’s choreography, managed to bring even more life into the night. The ensemble consisted of Emily Pettite, Florence Beaumont, Katie Butler, Kerry Way and Fiona Kennedy, all of whom provided the perfect visualisation of so many songs whilst also providing percussion in the form of Irish dancing. Despite the performance being around two hours long, the dancing did not get stale as the troupe refuse to stick to one style, incorporating ballet, tap and hip hop into performances.

Overall, Fairytale of New York is a feel-good show that could make even the coldest of hearts feel festive and walk out of the theatre post-show with the biggest smile on their face.