Theatre Royal Drury Lane Celebrates Return Of Shakespeare With Christmas Afternoon Tea

Theatre Royal Drury Lane is celebrating the return of Shakespeare and their much-loved Christmas Afternoon Tea this festive season. It doesn’t stop there- The Lane is also launching a pre-theatre menu and running a series of ticketed events.

To mark the occasion there was a one of event on 2nd December where we sampled the afternoon tea and heard about the wonderful events at The Lane. We got in the Christmas spirit while listening to Some Voices perform Christmas songs, even tapping our feet and singing along at points. There was also a personalised poem – whereby you have a few minutes conversation with the poet then in about 10minutes they create a poem for you. It was such a unique idea. I’m really pleased with the poem about my love and wishes for a family member.

After some bubbly we headed to the Grand Saloon for afternoon tea. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- the venue is stunning. Every time I go I admire the marble foyer, red carpeted staircases, chandeliers, regency furnishings and the fine art collection. Sitting in the opulent Grand Saloon whilst Greensleeves was playing does make one feel very grand indeed.

The Christmas themed Regency Afternoon was served canapé style. We liked how instead of traditional sandwiches, there are three savoury items made by The Lane’s in-house chefs. There’s the bite sized English crumpet topped with Earl Grey infused cream cheese and John Ross Jnr smoked salmon which is light and a good way to start the feast, and a savoury madeleine with whipped English feta and pickled heritage carrot though this remained my least favourite item on the menu. The highlight was the seasonal British coronation chicken pie with caramelised onion chutney, made last year to celebrate the coronation of Charles III. It had a good crunch with the pastry, was warm and creamy. Except for the vegan version being a little less creamier, I didn’t taste a difference and went back seconds.

Baker to the stars Lily Vanilli makes the sweet treats. A signature of Lily Vanilli is the vanilla cake filled with zingy passionfruit and buttercream, now served with a coconut ball. The mini spiced pudding with its thick custard centre and drizzled in salted caramel topped with caramel popcorn was indulgent without being overly sweet. Of course, what’s an afternoon tea without scones? The warm triangular scones were filled with juicy raisins and topped with a sprinkle of coarse sugar adding sweetness, and served with whipped cream and homemade jam. You’ll want seconds for sure. Afternoon is from £59 and available silly until 3rd January. There are Vegan and gluten free options and you can upgrade to Champagne Afternoon Tea on arrival.

Two Shakespeare plays are coming to the Lane: The Tempest and Much Ado About Nothing. Both are directed by multi award-winning produce and director Jamie Lloyd. The Tempest starring Sigourney Weaver performs from 7 December – 1 February 2025 while Much Ado About Nothing starring Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell performs from 10 Feb – 5 April 2025.

Both The Tempest and Much Ado About Nothing fulfil a long-held ambition of The Lane’s owner, Andrew Lloyd Webber, to bring Shakespeare back to The Lane. Shakespeare’s plays have been performed at Theatre Royal Drury Lane throughout its 350-year history and in the Rotunda Bar there’s two sculpture of Shakespeare, one even mounted in the same place as was drawn in the original 1812 blueprints. Eight Shakespearean works, including one of The Tempest, painted by Maria Kreyn in 2019 pay homage to this significant playwriter. Both plays have been on my list before this event and I can’t wait to see them both.

The Terrace has been refocused as an all-day festive outdoor venue. It’s heated, covered with festive decorations and lights and overlooks the bustling Covent Garden. Here you can enjoy seasonal favourites and winter warmers. Or perhaps you may like to try the new pre-theatre menu launching soon. Or have a themed cocktail in the Cecil Beaton Cocktail Bar.

‘Live at The Lane’ is a series of ticketed events and workshops for the public to enjoy the spaces within The Lane outside of theatre shows. These include flower pressing, book reading clubs, calligraphy writing, cocktail masterclasses and more.

Whatever your style or budget, there’s something for everyone at The Lane.