Review: Blake Patrick Anderson, Mulled Wine
During an interview I conducted with Blake Patrick Anderson towards the beginning of the first lockdown, the musical theatre star spoke about his ambition to host a concert one evening with a few people and a couple of drinks etc so I was very excited to hear that he would be hosting an event, albeit virtually, doing just that. His ’Mulled Wine’ evening was an intimate show from Blake's home, where he performed some wonderful Christmas (and non-Christmassy) songs with a sprinkling of Christmas cracker jokes throughout. A man after my own heart, Blake is an avid wine drinker with one of his previous concerts being simply titled ”Wine”; this one could be seen as a Christmas adaptation, hence the “Mulled Wine” title was born. I knew that I would personally enjoy this evening as it combines two of my favourite passions: wine and Christmas!
Blake Patrick Anderson most recently played Mark in Rent at the Hope Mill Theatre, with previous credits including Michael in Be More Chill and Rusty in Starlight Express. What was fantastic about the evening is that it was simply Blake performing in his house with a Christmas tree and a fire blazing. It was a completely stripped back concert, which kept the focus solely on his singing. I much perform this style of show from Blake due to the connection it enabled you to have with him as a performer; it was a special evening that felt extremely cosy and comfortable. He shared personal childhood stories and had crackers given to him from behind the camera, which felt as if they were coming from the audience - a very clever and inclusive idea.
Every song that Blake performed during the concert was incredible. He is an insanely talented performer who cleverly chose songs best suited to showcase his vocal ability. Despite having an intense personal love of modern Christmas songs, there is nothing better in this world than traditional Christmas carols and Blake delivered these fantastically. The show opened with an incredible rendition of ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’, unlike any version of this song I have heard before. The next song in his setlist ‘O Holy Night’ was phenomenal and brought me to tears due to how emotionally powerful it was.
Another highlight for me was his rendition of ‘Your Song’, originally performed by Elton John. He managed to deliver the softer and the more intense sections of the song with sustained emotion and power, which was fantastic. My favourite performance, however, had to be ‘Mary Did You Know.’ There are no words to describe this song in a justified way. I have never wanted to encourage people to listen to something more than this song, so if there is any way you can find his cover, please do as you will not be disappointed. It gave me actual goosebumps!
Blake is a very down to earth guy who made every audience member feel incredibly welcome and appreciated. His performances were out of this world, and the decoration and activities helped get everyone in the festive mood perfectly.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Rhys Payne