Wishmas: A Fantastical Christmas Adventure
The Old Bauble Factory, Waterloo
until 7th Jan
The world premiere of this interactive family-friendly Christmas experience was conceived by the creative team behind Secret Cinema.
Hidden in the Old Bauble Factory under Waterloo station is a portal to Wishmas – a fantastical place that takes audiences on a journey to ensure that their wishes come true. Starting with the mysterious Wishkeepers and travelling across the sky to meet with Father Christmas himself, audiences journey to save Wishmas, and ensure that “no wish is ever forgotten.”
This is not your usual Christmas event even though the children meet robins, Wishkeepers and of course, the big man himself. It will divide audiences, some of whom will expect a more traditional experience. It is, however, magical and although the narrative is sometimes difficult to follow, the concept Secret Cinema and Creative Director Elgiva Field have developed is beautifully acted out by the eight simply wonderful actors who I saw last night. You need to enter this make believe world with a well developed imagination and be happy to suspend belief for an hour or so. It really is an event where the more you put in, the more you get out.
The incredible hard work of the cast and lavish expenditure have clearly paid off. Critics have in the past been rather unkind in their appraisal of Secret Cinema’s previous work. This reviewer hasn’t seen any of this and I was enchanted by the puppetry, magic and total dedication of everyone involved.
The final scene when we finally meet Father Christmas together with a Wishkeeper called Sprout is one of the most uplifting scenes I have ever witnessed in immersive theatre and the whole audience were on their feet clapping and cheering at the final denouement.
Well done Secret Cinema for creating an intelligent, fun and memorable experience. My children are 5 and 7 and they absolutely loved every minute so ignore the Christmas cynics and don’t miss this wonderfully engaging show.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reviewer: Joe Owen
Photo: Matt Crockett