It was Charles Dickens - and the Victorians - who gave us many of our festive traditions.
A Christmas Carol was first published 180 years ago and we are still singing the same tunes as we deck the halls with boughs of holly, decorate fir trees, and look forward to a huge turkey feast.
Every yuletide you can enjoy Dickens' novella in multiple forms; as a stage show like the annual production at The Old Vic, or read aloud in the drawing room at Bloomsbury's Dickens Museum.
But for sheer immersive, joy it's hard to beat The Lost Estate's The Great Christmas Feast.
Taking over a former school in West Kensington, it's like stepping back in time as you enter a world of Victoriana.
There's something so festive about sharing a meal with lots of people. Here, diners are encouraged to dress up and there's a jolly atmosphere as you take your seats in a large room made intimate by low hanging lamps, velvet drapes and bookcases.
Unbelievably Dickens' ghost story of redemption is told by just one hard-working actor (Alex Phelps) aided by audience participation as he dashes between four 'stage' areas.
He's playing Dickens, performing his own story, as the author liked to do, and we are guests at his home in Devonshire Terrace, Marylebone in December 1843 as he shares his latest book.
Immersive performance company The Lost Estate is founded by musicians and a trio of players create an atmospheric underscore to the three acts - either merry or haunting depending on the mood.
Terrific lighting effects and a mostly well-edited script keep the action hurtling along - this is possibly the least dry rendition of a GCSE English set text you can imagine.
Between performances, a flurry of waistcoated waiters deliver three courses and themed cocktails like the delicious Pear Tree Cup (Old Tom, Pear Liqueur, French Vermouth, Baking Spices, Ginger Ale), or the Smoking Bishop (Pinot Noir, House Port Blend, Cherry Liqueur, Curacao, Michaelmas Tincture, Cherrywood Smoke.)
The food is exec chef Ashley Clarke's love letter to Christmas in Victorian London. We slathered malted sourdough with moreish sea salt and truffle butter before tucking into an excellent ham hock terrine with sharp pickled onion chutney, and samphire.
It was followed by confit duck leg with plenty of roast potatoes, mulled cabbage, creamed artichokes and an orange duck gravy, and rounded off with a buttery shortcrust pastry filled with pear and frangipane topped with Christmas pudding ice cream.
The action sees miserly Ebenezer Scrooge warned by the ghost of his former partner Jacob Marley to mend his stingy ways.
Shooing away Christmas carollers and his jolly nephew, and warning employee Bob Cratchit to be in extra early on Boxing Day, he clearly deserves to be visited by a trio of spooks.
The first takes him back to his past as a lonely schoolboy whose life is brightened by younger sister Little Fan and fiancee Belle - we're encouraged to get up and dance at one of the festive gatherings thrown by Scrooge's boss Mr Fezziwig.
The ghost of Christmas present shows Scrooge the meagre but loving feast at Bob Cratchit's house with sickly son Tiny Tim, before Christmas future evokes Scrooge's miserable funeral and the piles of money he can't take with him.
By the time he throws open his window to wish passers by a Merry Christmas and order a huge turkey delivered to Bob's house, accompanied by a pay rise, we were all full of both delicious food and festive cheer.
Highly recommended.
The Lost Estate's The Great Christmas Feast runs on selected dates until January 12th at 9, Beaumont Avenue, W14. Prices from £107.95.
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