REVIEW: The Holiday plus live orchestra offers perfect Christmas treat

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
REVIEW: The Holiday – screened concert-style with full orchestra on stage, Portsmouth Guildhall.

It’s a stroke of genius – a fabulous new way to see a film you think you know inside out and then suddenly find yourself appreciating anew.

Not only does the orchestra live on stage in front of the big screen make you wake up to the superb music Hans Zimmer wrote for The Holiday, it makes you wake up all over again up to the brilliance of the film itself.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And in another fantastic Christmas touch, the conductor urged us all at the start to cheer the goodies and boo the baddies. And wow, the ghastly Jasper certainly got what for. Fabulous too were the huge cheers when Iris finally found her “gumption” and dumped him.

You can watch these films endlessly on the small screen with ever-diminishing returns. But put them on a big screen and watch them with hundreds of people around you, and suddenly Technicolor and all emotional oomph are restored. The night was a wonderful reminder of just how funny The Holiday is – and just how much of a punch it packs.

And also just how great the acting is. The four leads – Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black – cross over and combine superbly in this tale of Iris and Amanda, two women 6,000 miles apart but with a miserable love life in common; two women who on the spur of the moment swap houses without even having met.

And once Iris is ensconced in LA and Amanda is in snowy, super-picturesque Surrey, it’s not long before they start discovering all that their lives really ought to be – not least through the chaps they meet at the precise moment they decide their best hope of any kind of contentment is to stay single.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Layering the icing on the Christmas cake are the truly gorgeous performances from the two girls playing Graham’s daughters – yet another delight in this near-perfect festive romcom.

And then tonight’s live orchestra takes it all to the next level, underlining all the pleasures – and adding plenty more of their own. I am going to watch numerous pantos this Christmas, but I’m sure none of them will make me feel anywhere near as festive as this did. A brilliant idea – and an absolute treat.

Tickets are on sale at ticketmaster.co.uk.

The Holiday In Concert with Live Orchestra, POOLE, Lighthouse, Fri 13 Dec 2024

The Holiday In Concert with Live Orchestra, YORK, Barbican, Tue 17 Dec 2024

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Holiday In Concert with Live Orchestra, NOTTINGHAM, Royal Concert Hall, Tue 17 Dec 2024

The Holiday In Concert with Live Orchestra, BIRMINGHAM, Symphony Hall, Wed 18 Dec 2024

The Holiday In Concert with Live Orchestra, SWANSEA, Swansea Arena, Thu 19 Dec 2024

The Holiday In Concert with Live Orchestra, MANCHESTER, Bridgewater Hall, Mon 23 Dec 2024

The Holiday In Concert with Live Orchestra, LONDON, Barbican Theatre, Mon 30 Dec 2024

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice