“Christmas in reality”, a festive show curated by Richard Curtis (“Love Actually”, “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, “Notting Hill”), has revealed its hosts and the first group of guests.
The Christmas show will be presented by Jayde Adams (“Greatest Days,” “Alma’s Not Normal,” “Strictly Come Dancing”) and Sanjeev Bhaskar (“Yesterday,” “Goodness Gracious Me”) and directed by Daniel Raggett (“Accidental Death of an Anarchist”). The first guests announced are Olivier Award-winning musical theater star Miriam-Teak Lee (“&Juliet,” “Hamilton”) and musical comedy duo Flo & Joan.
Holiday classics featured on the show will include “Christmas Baby Please Come Home,” “White Christmas,” “My Adult Christmas List” and “All I Want for Christmas.” The ensemble’s performers will be Marc Antolin, Elizabeth Ayodele, Stephan Boyce and Jamie-Rose Monk.
The variety show in support of Comic Relief promises a line-up of celebrities performing live music, Christmas stories, poetry and comedy. “Christmas Actually” will help raise funds for the charity over the festive period and 5% of net profits will be donated to Comic Relief. Curtis is co-founder of Comic Relief, and the charity has raised more than £1.5 billion ($1.8 billion) to support organizations that support people trying to survive in the face of poverty and injustice in the Kingdom United Kingdom and around the world since its launch in 1985. .
“Christmas Actually” will take place at the Royal Festival Hall at the Southbank Center from December 7 to 11. The band will consist of Russell Bennett (trumpet), Adam Bourne (guitar), Elliot Davis (keyboards), James Gambold (drums), Charles Rothwell (saxophone) and Tom Sansbury (bass). The “Christmas Actually” creative team will include set and costume designer Peter McKintosh, lighting designer Ben Rogers, assistant lighting designer Emily Darlington, sound designer Oscar Thompson, projection designer Duncan McLean and director musical Elliot Davis.
The show will also include “brilliantly terrible” Christmas jokes read by celebrities on screen, funny letters from children to Santa and an old-fashioned song. More celebrity guests will be revealed soon.
Christmas comedy “Genie” Written by Curtis and starring Melissa McCarthy, it premieres on Peacock on November 22.
