Lighting Up Regent Street

        

         Just because it was the beginning of November didn't mean Christmas couldn't be celebrated in style, something a large number of Londoners and I did last Tuesday. I attended the Regent Street Light's Festival because I love Christmas and because it was free. My expectations were non-existent so I was happily dazzled by the singing-dancing-celebrity-packed experience sprinkled with confetti and punctuated with rooftop fireworks.

          Surprisingly my group of friends and I almost missed this explosion of Christmas cheer because we couldn’t see it for a turn in the road, we pushed on, and arrived to see a huge crowd, a brilliantly lit stage, and a number of jumbo-trons. The stage was set obviously and commercially (this being Regent Street) for a Christmas celebration. We maneuvered as close as we could get to the performers and prepared to enjoy. We came in time to hear, and see, a local choir with a hip-thrusting director sing Christmas songs, including my favorite—All I Want for Christmas is You. The singers enjoyed the music and the reception from the audience, increasing the enjoyment and the energy of the crowd. Following the choir were two bubbly announcers sharing with the ecstatic crowd and my surprised group that the winner from X-Factor as well as Kelly Clarkson were going to perform.

Before that glorious event, which two girls behind us were almost crying over, a Michael Jackson impersonator came strutting out with a bedazzled glove on and moon walked for an appreciative, if slightly confused, crowd. After this Michael Jackson look-alike’s solo performance we were treated to an impersonation of the entire Jackson family complete with extraordinary moves and flashing lights. The crowd was only mildly interested in this performance, not responding to the cues to clap or sway. Something that was influenced by the odd assortment of singing and dancing Michael’s (from various points in his career) and one female that made up this so-called ‘Jackson 5’all moon-walking and hip-thrusting to different beats.

The Thriller cast was followed by Matt Cardle the X-Factor winner who I had never heard of but who excited all pre-teens in the vicinity. He performed well but was upstaged by not only Emma Bunton, better known as Baby Spice, in her new role as T.V. personality but also by Kelly Clarkson who, being the most well know celebrity, received the loudest cheers by the crowd. Kelly Clarkson performed well, playing to the audience and making good use of the stage space. Our view was not the best, interrupted by an inconveniently placed lamp post and some unfashionable man’s fur aviator hat. The performers also did not play Christmas songs at a Christmas lighting ceremony but were still able to enjoy the cheerfully contrived presentation.

Directly following the performances was the dramatic switch on carried out by Kelly Clarkson, Matt Cardle, and Baby Spice as well as Bill Nighy, who showed up for the sole purpose of turning the switch. What followed was appropriately fantastic; the lights flashed ON to suitable cheers, confetti fell from the sky, and fireworks went off from the roof tops of surrounding buildings. This effectively ended a most festive and unexpectedly spectacular forty-five minutes. 

By Sarah Hooper