New 'secret' arts theatre festival in London's West End

Musical theatre, cabaret, comedy and drag feature in a new "secret" arts theatre festival in London this month, with a line-up including Louise Dearman, Mark Watson, Mat Ricardo and Ivy Paige.

Running from 6 to 16 December, Christmas at the Phoenix Garden takes place in the new Phoenix Garden Building hidden away behind the Phoenix Theatre between Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road.

The festival’s organisers aim to raise £5,000 to support the community-run garden that dates back over 30 years. The plan is for the Phoenix Garden to grow into an accessible creative hub with a coffee shop, events with a community focus and more regular opening hours. At present, the venue is open just three hours a day and has a shortage of volunteers.

The new Stacey Street building, with a glass wall overlooking the garden, is a wheelchair-accessible space with seating for 60 plus under-floor heating and mood lighting. The garden is owned by Camden Council but run via a charity by volunteers and trustees.

Christmas at The Phoenix Garden will feature a fully operational bar which will open 30 minutes before showtime and close straight after each performance. Attendees will receive full access to the nearby Phoenix Arts Club.

CHRISTMAS AT PHOENIX GARDEN WEBSITE

Performance schedule

Thursday 6 December 2018

7pm: The Complete History of Pop Music in One House Festive Edition

Friday 7 December 2018

7pm: An Evening with James Bowen Author of ‘A Street cat named Bob’

8.30pm: FOC It Up! (Femmes of Colour) Comedy Club

Saturday 8 December 2018

7pm: Louise Dearman at Christmas

8.30pm: An Evening with Sooz Kempner & Richard Thomas

Sunday 9 December 2018

5pm: The Festive Phoenix Fundraiser

7.30pm: A Christmas Weimar Cabaret with William Ludwig & Dean Austin

Thursday 13 December 2018

7pm: Nearly The Andy Williams Show with Colin Savage

8.30pm: The Sondheim Society Presents *sold out*

Friday 14 December 2018

7pm: We Hate Christmas (Because It's Somebody Else's Birthday!) with Ivy Paige & Pete Saunders

8.30pm: Sofie Hagen and Mark Watson Tell New Jokes To You

Saturday 15 December 2018

7pm: Jamali Maddix Work in Progress

8.30pm: Mat Ricardo vs The World

Sunday 16 December 2018

6.30pm: Bumper Blyton: The Improvised Adventure

8.30pm: Fern Brady & Mickey Overman Double Bill