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A Christmas Carol is a spirited and refreshing rendition of a classic story – with festive food, talented performers and uplifting songs which make it worth fully throwing yourself into.
For this immersive dining experience, the Freedom Centre is transformed into Scrooge's Parlour for a joyous riot of an evening during which the audience play his ghostly dinner guests.
Looking around, it was clear that some audience members had fully committed to the 'immersive' aspect of the experience.
I'll admit that I was slightly hesitant when I realised half of the people on my table had come in full Victorian era attire.
Pictured: Embrace the audience participation and don't be a Scrooge!
But by the end of the night, I think it was safe to say that those audience members had the most fun out of everyone, and I was almost envious of how much they had embraced the experience.
So my one piece of advice to anyone going to watch A Christmas Carol is this: don't be a Scrooge!
If you're willing to leave your inhibitions at the door and let go of any notions of embarrassment, then you're almost guaranteed to have a good time.
Even if you're not quite convinced by the audience participation elements, the talent onstage is undeniable.
Will Seaward gives a powerful performance as the charismatic Jacob Marley – our narrator for the evening – as well as moving seamlessly into the roles of the various Christmas ghosts.
Pictured: Will Seaward as our narrator, Jacob Marley.
Raised in Jersey and trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Al Barclay returns to the island in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge.
He brings an impressive level of depth and nuance to the role, which can easily be played in a one dimensional 'grumpy' way.
It is no easy feat for a cast of two to engage a room full of hundreds of people, but this duo has the stage presence and charm to do so.
And It helps that they don't take themselves too seriously.
Both Seaward and Barclay aren't afraid to venue slightly off script to deliver the occasional self-depreciating quip when a mistake is made, or throw a witty reply to an over enthusiastic audience member who has had too much mulled wine.
From start to finish, their energy doesn't drop which is admirable considering they don't even have an half-way break to recharge.
During the interval, when the audience get to enjoy their food, Seaward and Barclay remain in character and move from table-to-table to speak to their guests.
Pictured: Jersey's Al Barclay returns to his island home in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge.
Though simple, the special effects work well and the clever use of shadows and projections on the centre-stage window is particularly effective.
I enjoyed how the show subverted some of the most iconic A Christmas Carol moments, and kept this well-know story feeling fresh and unpredictable.
I won't ruin any of the surprises, but the way the character of Tiny Tim is cast and the moment where Scrooge shouts out of the window to find out if it is Christmas Day were particularly amusing.
Composer and musician Aylar Aldridge also deserves a mention with her live violin providing an atmospheric addition to the performance.
Musicians are often concealed under the stage or hidden behind stacks of sheet music, so it was nice that Aldridge was in costume and fully part of the show, occasionally on stage and weaving though dinner guests at the their tables.
The lack of sheet music is further testament to Aldridge's musical prowess. Her violin solo in the middle of the 'Fairytale of New York' sing-a-long was a stand-out moment for me and would bring out the festive spirit in even the coldest of hearts.
Pictured: Seaward and Barclay have the energy and stage presence to keep the audience engaged.
Now for the most important aspect: the food. I can't speak for the meat eaters, but the vegetarian option was great!
Encased in a crisp golden pastry, the butternut squash and lentil wellington was rich and spicy. It arrived piping hot and was served with perfectly roasted potatoes and a rich creamy sauce.
My only advice would be to have a snack beforehand. I foolishly didn't eat anything after midday thinking that I was going to be served a roast when the show started at 19:00.
However, food wasn't actually served until about an hour-and-a-half into the show when the 'Christmas Dinner' part of the plot rolls around – so just bear that in mind!
Pictured: The food was festive and a wide variety of dietary requirements were catered for without fuss, including vegan and gluten-free options.
I can't fault the service by the catering team, and the QR system of ordering drinks straight to your table made a nice change from spending the entire interval queuing at the bar.
Overall, A Christmas Carol is an enthusiastic and rousing rendition of a classic story, which left me filled with good food and festive joy.
The show runs from 6 to 24 December at the Freedom Centre (formerly the Odeon Cinema).
Find out more or book tickets online HERE.
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