Dominion Theatre – 23rd November 2025
Reviewed by Heather Chalkley
5*****
Creator Ged Graham and his crew have produced a show to raise the Christmas spirit, sprinkled with a big dose of Irish magic. Come prepared to clap hard and singalong to familiar Christmas favourites and well known Irish staples.
Set in a scene outside McGrath’s Irish bar, the musicians create high energy from the get go with a troupe of dancers well versed in Irish high kicks and complex tap steps. We are greeted by Narrator Shane Morgan, who sings and plays with the best of them, swinging an Irish kilt in the second half that gets the audience whooping! Fiddle player Caitlin Forbes is an essential element, providing the familiar Gaelic notes that float on the air. An accomplished player who clearly loves her instrument. Oliver Cave is by far the best vocalist of the night, happy to be ribbed because of his Englishness! His dulcet tones resonated clear as a bell through the swell of Irish fiddle and audience appreciation.
The lighting programme takes some getting used to, with the players sometimes silhouetted and other times the colourful glare coming straight at the audience. The use of spotlighting to pick out the dancers and musicians, really helps guide your attention to where the action is happening on a busy stage. The singers and players are a smooth machine, moving about the stage in a fluid and familiar manner. We are treated to an eclectic range of favourite songs from Slade’s ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’ to ‘O’ Danny Boy’. The dance troupe, although slipping out of sync very occasionally, maintain their technique and enthusiasm throughout, really making it an Irish Fairytale for Christmas.