On the 10th of December 2022, the Hammersmith Apollo put on a wonder show with their magnificent orchestra to assist the Christmas classic Love Actually.  

 

It began with an extraordinary recreation of the universal theme tune which enticed me right away. I could feel the beat echoing around the theatre and going through my body, making my heart pound that extra bit. Unlike watching it at home there are no distractions, making it easier to focus. The orchestra meant that I could connect with the movie more than ever as it made me feel a part of Love Actually even though I was conscious that I was not. However, in some points of the performance the instruments were so overpowering and loud that I could therefore not hear what the actors are saying; for someone who has not seen it before unlike myself this could become a problem. Moreover, as the movie changes scenes quickly on occasion the music was a different mood to the following scene. One scene in particular was more noticeable than others, there was a cheerful tune in the previous scene and carried on into the scene in which death is mentioned. This was meant to be a scene explaining someone’s character further however taken over by the orchestra as there was not a prompt stop but instead a fade out.

 

Overall, Love Actually with a live Orchestra was an immersive experience however was missing the encore at the end which would have made the orchestra being there even more worthwhile. As it was when the final scene of the film finished the audience we unsure if they should hang on or if the show was finished, despite this I left feeling very festive.