A night of fun, spectacular circus and festive chaos
As Underbelly Boulevard Soho prepares to close its doors, this riotous festive hit will offer audiences one last chance to experience Circus and Cabaret as up close in Soho, with a celebration that promises to go out with a bang. While this marks the end of an era for Underbelly’s Soho home, Underbelly’s wider programme of live entertainment will continue, including its much-loved work at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Following the success of last year’s festive hit, the team behind Three Legged Race Productions returns with a new show that turns the traditional Christmas party upside down. Sophie has lost her Christmas spirit, and there’s only one way to get it back: throw her the most outrageous party imaginable. Each night, one lucky audience member will be chosen to become Sophie, the unsuspecting guest of honour at the centre of the action.
With the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, Mariah Carey thawed from her slumber, a stripping Scrooge and a whole host of festive mischief, audiences can expect a night that throws the rulebook out of the window. Fusing theatre with the audience as party guests, and with a euphoric throwback soundtrack, gravity-defying aerial acts, fearless acrobatics and high-energy comedy, no two performances are the same.
The cast features Katharine Arnold, Isis Clegg-Vinell and Nathan Price, the founders of Three Legged Race Productions, alongside Nate Armour, Sam Goodburn and Hugo Desmarais.
Arnold is an aerialist, choreographer and circus consultant who has previously toured with Cirque du Soleil and worked on Tim Burton’s Dumbo. Clegg-Vinell is a former Team GB gymnast and British and European Acrobatic Gymnastics Champion who has performed with Cirque du Soleil and The 7 Fingers, and Price has performed with Cirque du Soleil, The 7 Fingers and serving as associate circus director for Disney Theatrical Group’s The Greatest Showman – The Musical.
Nate Armour is a juggler and acrobat who trained at École de Cirque de Québec. His international career includes a three-year residency with Spiegelworld in Atlantic City and performances across Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Switzerland and the United States.
Sam Goodburn is a comedy circus performer who has won three first-place medals in UK circus competitions and performed with La Clique and at Glastonbury Festival. He has also appeared on Britain’s Got Talent and earned three Guinness World Records for his custard-cream biscuit skills.
Hugo Desmarais is a Quebec-born circus artist with more than 30 years of experience. His credits include Cirque du Soleil, La Clique, Las Vegas casinos and Disney parks. He has also created original aerial apparatus, bringing decades of specialist circus experience to the production.
Ed Bartlam, Director of Underbelly, said: “Underbelly Boulevard Soho has been a hugely special home for bold, ambitious live entertainment, and we couldn’t think of a better last show for the venue than Sophie’s Surprise Christmas Party. It’s everything we love about live performance – extraordinary talent, outrageous fun and audiences coming together for a truly unforgettable night. We’re going out with a bang, and we can’t wait to welcome audiences through the doors one last time.”
Three Legged Race Productions, said: “Sophie’s Surprise Christmas Party is all about bringing people together for a night of fun, spectacular circus and wonderfully unexpected festive chaos. We’ve created a show that throws the traditional Christmas party out of the window, with jaw-dropping skills, high-energy comedy, a brilliant throwback soundtrack and plenty of surprises along the way.”
Underbelly Boulevard Soho, 6 Walker’s Court, Soho, London, W1F 0BT
Run time: 90 minutes including a 20 minute interval, or 70 minutes no interval for Sophie’s Lates
Age suitability: Recommended for ages 16+.
Booking and full details: https://underbellyboulevard.com/tickets/sophies-surprise-christmas-party/#booking
