Christmas will be all around this December, with ultimate festive variety show Christmas Actually coming to London’s Southbank Centre.
Curated by Love Actually writer and director Richard Curtis, in partnership with charity Comic Relief, here’s what we know so far about this enchanting evening of entertainment.
As Billy Mack says in Love Actually: “I realised that Christmas is the time to be with the people you love” – and Christmas Actually is the perfect excuse.
What are the dates of Christmas Actually?
Christmas Actually will run at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall from 7 to 11 December 2023.
There are only 8 performances available to book: On Thursday 7 December at 7.30pm, Friday 8 November at 3pm and 7.30pm, Saturday 9 November at 3pm and 7.30pm, Sunday 10 November at 3pm and 7.30pm, and Monday 11 November at 7.30pm.
Who will star in Christmas Actually?
The show promises to feature a starry line-up of performers who will deliver live music, Christmas stories, poetry and comedy. The names of the celebrities are yet to be revealed, but Curtis says they will be “unexpected and famous”.
Previous Comic Relief charity events have included names such as Lenny Henry, Dawn French, David Tennant, Tom Daley, Paddy McGuinness, Catherine Tate, Claudia Winkleman, Miranda Hart, Romesh Ranganathan, Take That and James Corden.
The cast of the movie Love Actually have also reunited in the past for Comic Relief, including Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Andrew Lincoln, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Keira Knightley, Martine McCutcheon, Bill Nighy and Rowan Atkinson.
The show is not an adaptation of Curtis’s beloved film Love Actually, but it will capture the fun and laughter of Christmas through a “chocolate box – or perhaps advent calendar – of delights”.
What is the concert in aid of?
The show is a fundraiser for Comic Relief, which supports projects that tackle poverty at home and abroad. Curtis said he wanted audiences to have a great time and also be part of changing people’s lives.
What will be the running time of Christmas Actually?
The show will run for 90 minutes and will include some surprises, jokes and rowdy sing-alongs. Curtis said he hoped it would be “a night of collective merriment celebrating exactly what makes this time of year so special”.
How can i buy tickets to Christmas Actually?
Christmas Actually was announced on 17 July 2023, and tickets went on sale on 19 July.
Tickets are now available to Christmas Actually – book now for the best seats.
What will happen during the Christmas Actually performance?
A celebrity line-up will perform live music, Christmas stories, poetry and comedy, all directed by Daniel Raggett, whose current show is West End hit comedy Accidental Death of an Anarchist at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.
The Christmas Actually evening promises to feature Christmas classics performed by a live band, powerful real-life stories, such as the World War One Christmas Truce and the Band Aid charity singles, and moving poetry brought to life by a multi-talented cast, all set against a backdrop of live illustrations from some of the world’s most well-known artists and illustrators.
The show will also include some brilliantly terrible Christmas cracker jokes read by celebrities on screen, children’s hilarious letters to Father Christmas and a good old-fashioned singalong.
Who is Richard Curtis?
Richard Curtis is co-founder of Comic Relief, and the charity has raised over £1.5 billion to support projects that tackle poverty in the UK and around the world during that time. As an award-winning film writer and director, his films include Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’ Diary, Mr Bean, Love Actually, The Boat That Rocked, About Time and most recently Danny Boyle’s Yesterday.
This article will be continually updated as we get more information about the event.
Book tickets to Christmas Actually at the Royal Festival Hall in London
