Review: HOME ALONE IN CONCERT, Royal Albert Hall

“Keep the change, ya filthy animal!”

With a score by the iconic John Williams, Home Alone is the ideal film to be set to live music at the Royal Albert Hall as a part of their Christmas season. The 1990 film, written by John Hughes directed by Chris Columbus, follows the adventures of Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin), an eight-year-old boy who is left home alone (ba dum tss!) and must defend his home from a pair of robbers known as the Wet Bandits (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern). 

The musical accompaniment to the film, conducted by Anthony Gabriele, is performed by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and Crouch End Festival Chorus, bringing life to hit songs from the film including “Holiday Flight” and the iconic theme song, “Somewhere in My Memory,” as well as Christmas classics like “Carol of the Bells,” “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” and “O Holy Night.” There truly is nothing like watching a film with a live orchestra as it brings the experience as a whole to the next level. It was also lovely seeing people of all ages coming together to watch the film, with some groups appearing to have several generations of family members! 

The film itself is just as delightful in a music hall with thousands of strangers as it is watching it on the television in the living room with your family. While everyone remembers the near-psychopathic antics of Kevin as he battles against the Wet Bandits, I found that I had forgotten the sweeter moments, especially those between Kevin and his mysterious neighbour, Old Man Marley (Roberts Scott Blossom). 

Unfortunately, there were several moments throughout the performance when it seemed as though the orchestra was not fully in sync with one another, with some sections coming in earlier or later than others and making for an uncanny version of the John Williams songs we know and love. The Crouch End Festival Chorus, which only came in during the second half of the film, could have been used more, though the final holiday song after the movie was a lovely touch! Another aspect that took me out of the show as a whole was that the subtitles were not 100% accurate to what was being said on the screen, meaning some jokes would be lost for those who use the subtitles to experience the film. 

While it is nice to see so many people watching Home Alone together, there are some heavy drawbacks which impact the viewing experience. While the majority of people are there to enjoy the film and its music, there are some who were simply there to chat with their friends or record the show for social media. These people were very distracting and there were no efforts made by the staff around me to request the stoppage of filming, even when the flash was on several phones.  An announcement from the stage before the beginning of the film would have been incredibly helpful, as well as ushers ensuring that those filming stop before they distract others even more. 

Ultimately, Home Alone in Concert is a lovely way to spend an evening building up to the holiday season, but it has some faults that keep it from being the perfect night out for the family. The lack of rule enforcement leads to people acting as though they are at home with their families, not with thousands of others in a large space. With more audience control, it could truly become a fantastic event!

The Films in Concert series continues on 25 April 2025 with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Home Alone in Concert ran on 7 December at the Royal Albert Hall.

Photo Credit: Andy Paradise

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