Sparkles, glitter, tinsel, and disco - there was only one Christmas Party worth attending to this year, Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Christmas Kitchen Disco...
Inspired by the success of her lockdown livestreams where she welcomed the nation into her home through a virtual Kitchen Disco, disco-pop royalty Sophie Ellis-Bextor took the show to Nottingham’s Royal Theatre and Concert Hall with a Christmas extravaganza.
With a hugely admirable career of twenty years, a sea of audience dressed in sequins and disco-inspired outfits highly awaited on her arrival. The huge white curtain upon the stage falls, revealing Ellis-Bextor, sitting on a huge toy horse opening her set with a cheerful cover of Sleigh Ride. The singer really welcomed us into her very own Christmas party, accompanied by homely tinsel and bunting as well as a very glittery band, the festive spirit didn’t stop there. Enlightening the audience with some Nottinghamshire-based trivia, we are now all aware that the Snowball the guinea pig from Nottingham still holds the world record for the longest-living guinea pig and following a really cheesy festive joke, Music Gets the Best of Me was up next. The concert hall saw audience members unsure whether to stand up or not, everyone was still warming up as she went into upbeat Wild Forever.
Introducing us all to ‘The Wheel’, 24 different songs made up of covers and originals all had a chance of making their way into the setlist. This added to the unpredictability and fun of the setlist music as well as the “chaos of having five children”, the singer exclaimed. After a tense twenty-second spin, her single Catch You was the chosen one to much of the audience’s delight. “I see a room full of dancers," which perfectly led the audience to their feet to accompany as a theatre full of backup dancers for Hypnotised. Just as the audience were in full disco flow, A Thousand Orchids slows down the tempo and an acoustic and gentle rendition of Lost In The Sunshine takes the room out of the Christmas vibe for a few minutes.
But this doesn’t last for long, a cover of Rockin’ Round the Christmas Tree into Last Christmas reignites the spirit of Christmas back to the stage and there were no settling the audience back to their seats anytime soon. The Wham cover saw Ellis-Bextor disappear for a costume change, however this doesn’t stop the audience from echoing the lyrics across the hall with passion and creating a wholesome moment between strangers. After some Christmas karaoke, it was time for the wheel again, and this time Cher’s Take Me Home, which she executes brilliantly.
The singer was successful in perfectly mixing a blend of originals and Christmas covers, with Get Over You are being accompanied by an interlude of Shakin Stevens’ Merry Christmas Everyone it was time for those iconic hits. Groovejet (If this Ain’t Love) gave those in the audience a hit of modern disco nostalgia, and was perfectly followed with old school hits, Christmas Wrapping and Crying at the Discoteque and finally a cover of Madonna’s Like A Prayer. We were truly being transported back in time on an infinite ride of pop hits.
With Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer), and the night drawing to a close, it meant only one thing – Murder On The Dancefloor. To hear such an iconic song live really emphasised just the impact this song has had on our disco and party culture, it never goes amiss in most clubs and parties, the top-hit is still relevant as ever. With smiles and grooves filling the room, it wasn’t hard to see why. The night was then over…or was it?
Returning back to the stage with All I Want For Christmas is You, the party wasn’t over just yet. However, it was then time to wind down for the most beautiful part of the show. Sophie made her way onto the balcony seating amongst the audience. After gracefully quietening down the cheers and applause that carried through the room, and a now completely silent auditorium, Ellis-Bextor performed a stripped-back version of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. As the audience admired from all angles of their seats in absolute admiration, the room belonged wholly to the angelic vocals and presence of the singer, a beautiful and touching way to end such an outstanding show.
The clue really was in the name for Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Christmas Kitchen Disco, and combined all the best parts of Christmas, disco, and that cosy feeling of a family party all in one.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor performed at the Royal Concert Hall on 9 December 2023
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