In this interview, I had the great pleasure of doing a Q&A with the wonderful Vincent Hayes MBE to talk about his much-anticipated upcoming Christmas production, The Magic of Christmas. Vincent shared insights into what audiences can expect from this festive extravaganza, as well as the inspiration and hard work behind bringing such a heart warming show to life.
The Magic of Christmas is described as a joyful blend of song, comedy, and cabaret — what was your creative vision in bringing this year’s production to life?
At Brick Lane Music Hall we love to bring people together, and particularly at Christmas it is important for people to be celebrating the season together. We want everyone to leave in the Christmas spirit, ready to go out and enjoy the holiday season.
How does this year’s show build upon or differ from previous Brick Lane Music Hall Christmas productions?
This year, in addition to the comedy, we have six outstanding vocalists, so there will be an emphasis on the songs that are at the heart of Christmas for all of us, and we also have as guest artist, the extraordinary violinist, Victoria Yellop.
Could you share how the creative team collaborated to weave together music, performance, and design for this festive experience?
Our Artistic Director, Zara Kattan is in overall charge of the team, briefing the different departments from the earliest stages to bring together something new and fresh every year. We have a team of Musical Directors who come up with our unique musical arrangements and work closely with the artists to produce brilliant, seamless performances. We are lucky enough to have a huge costume store as well as our own in-house art department, so create all our own sets and props to fit our own style and help create the unique atmosphere of the venue. This also includes the Christmas theming, which all comes together this year in “The Magic of Christmas”.
With such a rich variety of musical styles — from classic carols to pop hits — how do you balance nostalgia with something fresh for today’s audiences?
While we have our own, unique arrangements, Music hall is all about the familiar. The arrangements might be fresh and new, but, especially at Christmas, it is really important that the melodies retain a familiarity.
Brick Lane Music Hall is the only permanent venue in the UK dedicated to British Music Hall — what does it mean to you to continue that legacy?
I was first drawn to music hall through my appearances at the Player’s Theatre in Charing Cross – it was known as the ‘pink tunnel’ as it was formally a railway arch under the tracks, but the creative directors made it into an iconic venue, where you could smell the atmosphere as you walked in. I loved the audience participation and their involvement with the artists onstage – to me that was theatre in its highest form, and I’ve always wanted to recreate that magic. Possibly, coming from an Irish community – I was born in Galway, and moved over to London with my family as a child – I’ve always appreciated that sense of community, of belonging. You can’t help but notice the difference it makes to people when they feel part of the show. It’s what I do, and that’s never changed.
The show is as much a social experience as a performance. How important is that sense of shared celebration in the design of The Magic of Christmas?
In my mind going to a theatre should always be a social experience, but with travel, theatre start times – all the admin before you get in the door – it doesn’t always make for a very relaxing experience. Music hall has always been a combination of the three elements – eat, drink, and be merry. It’s about coming together, being together.
The cast brings together performers from classical, musical theatre, and cabaret backgrounds. How do those different traditions enrich the show?
We work with artists who have been with us from the very earliest days, as well as bringing in new artists and musicians, sometimes giving opportunities to musical theatre graduates. This not only keeps our shows fresh and interesting for our audiences, but also gives a younger generation the opportunity to learn the craft and to work alongside more seasoned performers or speciality acts which might include magicians, mind readers, ventriloquists, jugglers, specialist musicians and dancers, comedians, and traditional music hall performers with their “spots”. In The Magic of Christmas, our special guest artist Victoria Yellop, is a classically trained virtuoso violinist who has played with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and also performed for Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth at the Royal Windsor Tattoo.
Could you tell us a little about any standout moments or audience-favourite numbers we can look forward to this year?
If you love Christmas, you will love the songs we have chosen, it’s a really fun mix, from “White Christmas” through to “Fairytale Of New York”. But there are also plenty of comedy moments that we hope everyone will enjoy.
What do you think it is about The Magic of Christmas that makes it truly sparkle?
Well really the audience does it, they are the stars. Our shows are all audience-driven, and every show the audience are there for the first time. So we do the show through their eyes, so it’s never stale, it’s never repetitious, it’s always a first night.
After so many years of festive shows, what continues to surprise or delight you each season?
As our shows are audience-driven, each and every show is different. The element of liveness, of enjoying being together, of not knowing what might happen – that’s what keeps it exciting.
What do you hope audiences carry with them when they leave The Magic of Christmas this year?
We hope they feel lighter, that they’ve had a really enjoyable afternoon or evening, enjoyed being together and celebrating this festive time of the year, and looking forward to continuing to celebrate with their families and loved ones.
The Magic of Christmas is playing at Brick Lane Music Hall from the 19th November to the 19th December with lunch, matinee and evening performances available.
