Review: WISHMAS, The Old Bauble Factory

“No wish is forgotten”

Wishmas: A Fantastical Christmas Adventure has opened at London’s hidden Old Bauble Factory under Waterloo Station. Audience members are invited on a tour of “a working wish factory,” joining the Wishkeepers and their friends as they work to make wishes from around the world come true. After getting your photo taken in front of a cute display and waiting in a queue at the entrance, you are taken to the first stop on your journey, the “Sorting Office.” 

As soon as you enter the first room, you are hit with the sights, sounds and smells of the holiday season. The bright colours and jolly atmosphere of the set are quite the opposite of what might expect from vaults under a train station, as designer Julie Landau has truly turned the place into a winter wonderland. Your first Wishmaker of the experience greets you and introduces you to what you will be seeing on your toy before revealing a fantastic robin puppet, cleverly designed and fabricated by Charlie Tymms. The robins are the ones who bring the wishes to Wishmas, keeping the red baubles safe in their chest. 

Once you leave the Sorting Office, you embark on your official Wishmas tour, taking a flying train up into the sky. Another Wishkeeper greets you, welcoming you on board the train for your tour over Wishmas. The costumes worn by the Wishkeepers are a delightful combination of red, gold and green, enhanced by the fantastic makeup and elf ears. I particularly loved the smaller details like the golden ear cuffs and sparkling freckles.

While on the train, audience members are directed to look at screens to see what they are flying over. Catherine Woodhouse’s video designs are lovely, giving the impression that the train is in constant motion in the sky against clouds and the night sky. 

But of course, something goes wrong on our journey, and some of the wishes the train has been carrying are lost! It is up to audience members to help the Wishkeepers find the missing wishes and return them to their rightful place so everything can run properly. From here, guests enter the world of Wishmas, going through candy cane-striped hallways, past doors indicating places like reindeer stables, mince pies bakeries and even lost property, entering both the Merry Maps of Everywhere room and the room holding the Great Clock of now.

Without going into many spoilers, the effects and interactive aspects of both of these rooms are simple yet delightful for the whole family. Everything is tied together with Beth Duke’s sound design and music that accompanies the audience wherever they go, blending instrumentals with the voices of the Wishkeepers and Guides in a way where one never overpowers the other. 

Even though the set and effects are fantastic, what truly makes Wishmas stand apart is its incredible cast. Each member of the team, Wishkeeper or Guide, goes out of their way to ensure that everyone is having a good time and that the magic is kept alive. Even as I was leaving rooms, I would hear Wishkeepers talking aloud to themselves about everything that needed to be done to find the missing wishes with great enthusiasm. Performance Director Matthew Blake has done a wonderful job in directing the performers, making sure that the illusion of the world of Wishmas is never broken. 

Of course, no visit to Wishmas would be complete without an appearance by Santa, who also goes by the name “The Wish Fisher,” collecting wishes in his observatory and helping in the process to help them come true. It sounds quite cheesy to say as an adult, but it was truly magical to see Santa walk in the room and hear the gasps of delight from the audience. The illusions in this room in particular are a fine example of the combination of John Bulleid’s illusion work and Tim Mitchell’s lighting design, creating simple yet beautiful effects to impress guests of all ages. 

Unfortunately, the experience does lose a bit of its magic at the end, when, after guests have had a special experience (either meeting Father Christmas or making their own Christmas bauble in the Wishmas craft workshop), they are sent into the Wishmas market. The market itself leaves much to be desired, as it just feels empty and commercial compared to the magical set and atmosphere of the rest of the experience. The space feels greatly underutilised and there are not many items on offer from these stands. There is also a food stand offering mince pies and other Christmas treats, but there is nowhere within the space to sit and enjoy your food and drink, leaving you to simply exit the experience.  

Ultimately, Wishmas: A Fantastical Christmas Adventure is a magical and family-friendly experience that will have both children and adults alike leaving with a little more magic in their hearts than they did when they first entered.

Wishmas: A Fantastical Christmas Adventure runs until 7 January 2024 at London’s hidden Old Bauble Factory, under Waterloo Station

Photo Credits: Matt Crockett

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