So, it is December, advent calendars around the country are starting to be opened and the panic about shopping is setting in. Christmas in the West End gets into full swing this weekend with the annual Christmas In New York performance, so Official London Theatre got to know a little about the cast’s own festive feelings:
Julie Atherton
All I want for Christmas is… to wake up on Christmas morning with my other half and know that all the preparations are done and we can spend the whole day being childish and getting fat and we’re allowed to!
My perfect Christmas present would be… I could be really sweet, but I won’t. Shed loads of money! Maybe the bank managers could pay it all back!
My worst Christmas present ever was… when I didn’t receive anything from my own mum one year. Then I realised all of Santa’s presents were from her, which confirmed that… I can’t even bring myself to say it. She thought I was old enough to know. I wasn’t!
The song that makes me feel most Christmassy is… Any Christmas song makes me feel Christmassy. All I have to do is hear the first chime of a Christmas song and I get excited!
Paul Spicer
All I want for Christmas is… my life back! I have been working way too much recently and I’d like to see my friends and family, please.
My perfect Christmas would be… somewhere with real snow, tucked away in a beautiful part of the world with all my special people.
My worst Christmas present ever was… a game called Gone Fishin’. I hate board games.
The song that makes me feel most Christmassy is… I Believe In Father Christmas by Greg Lake.
Leanne Jones
All I want for Christmas is… me and my gorgeous boyfriend to have our first Christmas Day alone together in our flat.
My perfect Christmas present would be… something small and thoughtful, maybe homemade.
My worst Christmas present ever was… I always love all my presents, but a nightmare for me is when people buy me clothes and they’re too small!
The song that makes me feel most Christmassy is… I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day by Wizzard. It reminds me of being a kid.
Alex Jessop
All I want for Christmas is… a Fortnum and Mason’s Christmas pudding, covered in their brandy butter.
My perfect Christmas would be… spent with my fiancée, glass of Harvey’s Bristol Cream in hand, in front of an open fire, listening to Cliff playing in the background.
My worst Christmas present ever was… a hangover.
The song that makes me feel most Christmassy is… Cliff’s Saviour’s Day.
Ashleigh Gray
All I want for Christmas is… for my one day off to be super long so I can make the most of chilling out and enjoying the festivities, food and company of my family and friends!
My perfect Christmas would be… getting home to Scotland for the first time in years and doing it the old fashioned way! Letters up the chimney, leaving Santa and Rudolph their treats on Christmas Eve and the sweetie trail down to the living room on Christmas morning followed by a real family day.
My worst Christmas present ever was… a stuffed horse! When I was a kid, like many little girls, I always wanted a pony. In the run up to Christmas one year my parents kept dropping hints in front of me saying things like, “Do you think we have enough hay?” and “Have you cleared out the garage to make way for the ‘you know what’?” I was so excited! But when I got up on Christmas morning I was devastated to find a horse… of the cuddly toy variety!
The song that makes me feel most Christmassy is… probably The Pogues’s Fairytale Of New York. For some reason that’s always the first one I hear on the radio at Christmas time! Also, my uncle thinks of himself as a bit of a guitarist and he brings [the guitar] with him to our house every Christmas. One year, he learnt the chords for this song and played it over and over again all day. Now it’s a regular occurrence on Christmas Day with the Grays!
Oliver Tompsett
All I want for Christmas is… Nigella Lawson’s Coca Cola Ham. Try it!
My perfect Christmas would be… one where I have more than one or two days off. Ah well, no rest for the Wicked! See what I did there!
My worst Christmas present ever was… a second hand VHS tape of an Oasis gig off my sister’s ex-boyfriend. I don’t even really like Oasis. And VHS? Come on!
The song that makes me feel most Christmassy is… I’m The Happiest Christmas Tree by Johnny Mathis and a lot of strange chipmunk voices.
Samuel Barnett
All I want for Christmas is… free massage for a year. Actually, for the rest of my life. It is Christmas after all. Oh, and world peace, of course.
My perfect Christmas would be… Christmas in New York! With all my family and friends. I love it there.
My worst Christmas present ever was… a relaxation CD called When Nature Calls. I kid you not.
The song that makes me feel most Christmassy is… the opening bars of Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas, when it gets played on the DFS Christmas ads! They take out the vocals and just have the bells and backing track. I always know Christmas is here when that ad comes on the TV.
Christmas In New York plays for one night only at the Prince of Wales theatre on 6 December. A Christmas In New York CD is also now available and can be purchased from amazon.co.uk
MA