Follow the aroma of smokehouse chicken, buzz of bourbon-fuelled chatter and trail of shimmering sequins to The Lost Estate this summer and you’ll stumble upon a Jazz Age Superclub plucked straight from the 1930s.
No, it’s not a mirage or wild daydream, this is the outrageous true story of Belle Livingstone’s 58th St. Country Club, brought to life once more. In its final extension until September 30, The Lost Estate is putting on this immersive experience filled with live music, theatre and dining, transporting you into a smoky prohibition-era world for one spectacular night, which we were luckily enough to attend and be whisked away to a lively night set 100 years in the past.
One crisp New York evening in 1930, there was something special in the air above Manhattan. Dusky rays of moonlight bathed the quiet city streets in a cloak of silver, only to be pierced by stiletto heels and the white tips of polished Oxford Brogues as flurries of revellers flocked to the Grand Opening of The 58th Street Country Club. The Manhattan superclub came to fruition in the final years of the prohibition, run by socialite Belle Livingstone. Hollywood Queens, Harlem Kings, and Park Avenue Tycoons all enjoyed this den of delights – secreted away behind the facade of an ordinary townhouse – that is until the club was raided by Federal agents at midnight and closed, never to open again.
Until now, that is. The Greatest Night Of The Jazz Age is being reborn, courtesy of The Lost Estate. The West London experience makers put together fascinating immersive experiences that transport you into new worlds and stories. Fresh off their last production, ‘The Great Christmas Feast’, which drummed up rave reviews, they are now treating London to a night of dancing, drinking, dining and world-class jazz. At the heart of the evening will be The 58th Street House Band, led by star trumpeter Rory Simmons (bandleader for Jamie Cullum and Blur amongst others). They’ll be providing a sensational soundtrack to your evening, full of sizzling Jazz Age classics, while a cast of award-winning actors, vocalists and dancers, led by Suanne Braun as Belle herself, perform a theatrical epic that keeps your eyes glued to the stage.
As well as being a feast for the eyes and ears, you’ll be able to tuck into a delicious three-course feast with drool-worthy New York-inspired dishes such as Park Avenue Salmon, Lenox Avenue Surf’N’Turf (Smokehouse Chicken and Smoked’n’Pulled Rare-Breed Beef, Truffle Shrimp Mac, Astoria Waldorf Salad) and, to finish it all off, a comforting classic: Grand Central Apple Pie with bourbon caramel. Vegan and vegetarian options are also available. Plus, your tastebuds will be tantalised by some mixology magic, with cocktails such as the orange-infused ‘Missing Americano’ or ‘Stella’s Place’; a concoction of bourbon, apricot and burlesque bitters.
Found just a few minutes walk from West Kensington tube station, the experience runs every evening from Tuesday – Sunday evenings in July & September, Thursday – Sunday
evenings in August doors at 6pm, with Matinee performances every Saturday from 12pm. This experience is not to be missed, make sure you buy now as tickets are selling out fast, and get ready to lose yourself in the wild wonders of The Lost Estate.