Up next in 10
Up with a Twist: Virgin Voyages' New UPCHARGE Show
Sep 18, 2025
Up With A Twist — a bold, variety-style cabaret dinner show exclusive to Brilliant Lady. In this Event Highlight, David from VV Insider takes you inside Virgin Voyages’ ticketed spectacle in The Manor, where powerhouse vocals, circus artistry and cheeky comedy collide over a three-course dining experience. Expect the unexpected — including one unforgettable opening twist that instantly sets the tone for a night of wild, offbeat entertainment. Food, cocktails, live jazz music, comedy moments - what is there not to love?! ✨ Read more about Up With A Twist: https://vvinsider.com/on-board/event/up-with-a-twist/ 🚢 View all events on Brilliant Lady: https://vvinsider.com/events-on-brilliant-lady/ 🎤 Read about the show’s creator, Holly-Anne Devlin: https://www.hollyannedevlin.com ----------- 🎭 What to expect: sultry songs, aerial feats and flamboyant character turns, blending burlesque, cabaret and variety with a distinctly Virgin Voyages edge. The intimate Red Room transforms into a supper-club stage, with the audience drawn right into the action. 🧭 Know before you go: Up With A Twist is one of the few Virgin Voyages shows with an additional ticket fee, due to its scale and format. It plays multiple times per voyage, but seating is limited — so secure tickets early through the Virgin Voyages app. 📚 Planning a Virgin Voyages trip? Book or link your voyage for ad-free access and perks ➜ https://vvinsider.com/book/ Music & footage: Brief on-board performance clips are included for criticism/review under UK fair dealing with acknowledgement. All works remain the property of their respective rights holders. 00:00 Unexpected Start at Up With A Twist 00:15 Introduction to Virgin Voyages' New Show
View Video Transcript
0:00
When we first went into Up with a Twist,
0:02
we were not expecting some drunk lady to
0:04
storm the stage and start swinging on
0:07
some of the equipment.
0:13
[Music]
0:15
The latest Virgin Voyages dinner cabaret
0:18
show launched in September 2025 with the
0:21
launch of Virgin Voyages four ship in
0:23
the fleet, Brilliant Lady. This show is
0:25
called Up with a Twist. I'm David from
0:27
VV Insider and in this Virgin Voyages
0:30
event highlight, we're going to take a
0:31
look at what to expect when you go along
0:34
to Up with a Twist. And crucially, we're
0:36
going to look at whether it's worth the
0:37
cost of entry because unlike most shows
0:40
on board Virgin Voyages, Up with a Twist
0:42
does carry a ticket charge. And we're
0:44
going to take a little look why that is
0:46
and whether it's worth it or not. So,
0:48
come with us as we take a look at this
0:50
one-of-a-kind show, which will see
0:52
incredible vocals, unbelievable variety
0:54
performances, and fantastic
0:56
choreography, all set to a live jazz
0:59
band with incredible food and cocktails
1:01
thrown into the bargain. So, let's take
1:03
a look at Up with a Twist. V Insider is
1:06
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1:08
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1:10
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1:12
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1:16
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1:18
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1:20
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1:24
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1:26
booking directly with us.
1:30
So, Up with a Twist takes place in the
1:32
Mana, which has been transformed into
1:35
Lady Valentina's Emporium of Excess. So,
1:37
what this means practically is that the
1:39
manor has been all dressed up to look
1:41
like a 1920s jazz bar with wonderful
1:45
props and drapes that really transforms
1:47
the manor into this really intimate
1:49
feeling cabaret bar. One thing to note
1:51
before we go any further, when you enter
1:53
the manor through the glittering
1:55
corridor, you'll then be offered two
1:57
different options. You can either go
1:59
into an immersive experience, which I'll
2:01
come on to in just a bit, or you can go
2:04
and grab a seat. I do recommend going to
2:06
grab a seat first before you do anything
2:09
else and that's because up with a twist
2:11
is best viewed as close to the stage as
2:14
possible. There is very limited guest
2:16
participation. So don't worry about
2:18
sitting close to the stage as it's
2:20
likely you won't be pulled into any of
2:21
the action at all. But what you will get
2:23
is an incredible view of the great
2:25
vocals, the great choreography, and
2:27
seeing the fantastic live music being
2:29
played firsthand. And this is just one
2:32
of those areas where it really pays off
2:34
to be a rockstar or a mega rockstar when
2:36
you sail on Virgin Voyages because you
2:39
will have priority access to this event.
2:42
Just like many of the other events on
2:43
board Virgin Voyages, if you're sailing
2:45
in the sweet level, which is Rockstar or
2:47
Mega Rockstar, you will be given a black
2:50
band. And that means you can go into a
2:52
different queue, a priority queue, and
2:54
get first dibs on those really great
2:56
seats right next to the stage. Now, of
2:58
course, that does mean if you're just a
3:00
regular sailor with a red band, then
3:02
that means that you're going to have to
3:03
queue up pretty early to get a
3:05
competitive seat. So, do make sure you
3:07
arrive to the mana with enough time to
3:09
spare. That'll make sure that you're in
3:11
just after the rock stars get in, so
3:13
you'll still have a good chance of
3:14
getting a good seat. Now, with that
3:16
being said, once you've secured your
3:18
seat, I encourage you to go back to the
3:20
bar because there are some immersive
3:22
experiences set out just for you as a
3:24
guest in the Emporium of Excess. This is
3:26
where you'll find your first inclusive
3:28
drinks of the night. You will first be
3:30
presented with a tray of cocktails. Feel
3:32
free to grab one of those as you pass
3:34
by. Then, when you walk around the Mana
3:37
Bar, you will get your first glimpse at
3:39
the amazing, incredible cast that put Up
3:41
with a Twist together. And rather than
3:43
being on stage, the cast will actually
3:45
be dotted around the Emporium of Excess
3:48
and will invite you to join them in some
3:50
immersive experiences before the show
3:52
even kicks off. Now, I'm not going to
3:54
spoil too many of the surprises here
3:56
because it is worth going up and
3:58
interacting with the cast yourself to
4:00
see what surprises they have in store
4:01
for you. They are all, of course, in
4:04
character, so you can maybe ask them
4:06
about their character and what they get
4:07
up to in the Emporium of Excess. It's a
4:10
lot of fun, and there might just be a
4:12
special treat or surprise in store for
4:14
you when you interact with these
4:15
characters. So, it is very much
4:17
encouraged, and it really kicks off the
4:19
start of the show. Once you've explored
4:21
the Emporium of Excess, this is when
4:23
you'll return back to your seats. At
4:25
this point, you can take a look at the
4:26
menu on the table to select what you'd
4:28
like to dine on during the cabaret.
4:31
There are two different options
4:32
available for dinner. If you look on the
4:34
reverse side of the menu, you'll see the
4:36
alternative options. The dinner options
4:38
are set by the food and beverages team,
4:40
and sometimes they do change. So, I'm
4:42
not going to go into too much detail
4:44
about the menu here, but I do encourage
4:46
you to visit our event page on
4:48
vvincider.com,
4:50
and you can have a look at the most
4:52
current, most up-to-date menu for your
4:54
sailing. I will tell you what we had
4:56
when we went along to the show because
4:58
the food was really, really good, and it
5:00
is French inspired, and that's to go
5:03
along with the theming of the show. We
5:05
started off with the bread, which was
5:07
really delicious. It's herb infused
5:09
briot with a maple butter. We then had a
5:12
goat's cheese salad which had pears
5:14
which was steeped in red wine that was
5:16
delicious as well. And then we had a
5:18
choice between two different mains. One
5:20
was grilled swordfish and the other was
5:23
a really flavorful tenderloin of beef
5:25
with a French onion tart tatan. Really,
5:28
really delicious food. And we found
5:30
actually the food that's served
5:32
alongside these cabaret performances is
5:35
some of the best food on board and it
5:37
certainly makes the price of entry a
5:39
little bit more palatable. So once
5:41
you've selected your dinner, the courses
5:43
will be brought to you between the
5:45
performances of the show. And these will
5:47
be interspersed with the included
5:48
cocktails that you get in the event as
5:50
well. So a word of warning, it's worth
5:52
keeping one eye out for your server
5:55
because it's likely they'll want to
5:56
clear plates before the next course
5:58
comes along. So you might get a tap on
6:00
the shoulder asking you to pass a knife
6:02
or a fork down the table to make sure
6:04
that the food service is running
6:05
swimmingly. So just keep an eye out for
6:07
that. Now we've talked about food and
6:09
drink. Let's talk about the main event,
6:11
the show itself. So, when the show
6:14
begins, this is when Lady Valentina's
6:16
Emporium of Excess really comes alive.
6:19
And this is all going to start with the
6:21
live jazz band. So, they're going to
6:23
play a little entrance music, which
6:25
lasts about 10 or 15 minutes. And this
6:27
gives you enough fair warning to make
6:29
your way back to the seats if you've
6:31
been looking at the immersive
6:32
experiences around the bar. What you'll
6:34
expect here are jazz renditions of
6:37
popular modern music. So, if you think
6:39
of something like postmodern jukebox, if
6:41
you've seen them on YouTube, for
6:42
example, that's the type of music that
6:45
you're going to get in Up with a Twist.
6:46
It really suits the theme and setting
6:48
really, really well. And this is really
6:50
helped by the fact that Virgin Voyages
6:53
really look and scout out the best
6:55
talent for their ships. And we saw the
6:58
most incredible cast. These vocalists
7:01
and dancers and actors and aerialists
7:03
had it all. Unbelievable voices,
7:06
incredible dancing, and a real comedic
7:09
energy and timing that I don't think
7:11
we've seen anywhere else on board. A
7:13
really good way of getting to know the
7:15
cast of your sailing is to follow our
7:18
Instagram account at VV Insider blog. We
7:21
often share information about the cast
7:23
on board, as well as sharing their
7:25
social media posts so you can see what
7:27
they get up to on board, but also follow
7:30
their career as they leave the ship as
7:32
well. It's always fascinating to see
7:33
where these incredibly gifted performers
7:36
head once they're finished on Virgin
7:38
Voyages and also see if they're
7:39
returning on board the ship as well.
7:41
With the threat of sounding incredibly
7:43
unbiased, but anyone who's ever spoke to
7:45
me about Up with a Twist will know it is
7:47
my absolute favorite show on board and
7:49
that's up with some really tough
7:50
competition from the rest of the fleet.
7:52
But for me, Up with a Twist really
7:54
combines those elements of music,
7:56
comedy, and story really, really well,
7:58
and an incredibly stellar cast to back
8:01
all of that up as well. Much of the
8:03
success of Up With a Twist can be
8:05
attributed to the fantastic producer
8:07
Holly Anne Develin, who not only brings
8:09
Up with a Twist to life, but is also
8:12
responsible for Pesphanie. And if you've
8:14
ever seen Pesphanany, you'll know the
8:16
type of atmosphere and vibe to expect
8:18
from Up with a Twist. We have been big
8:20
fans of Pesphanany for a number of years
8:23
and it really shows that Holly and
8:24
Devlin along with Kaleidoscope Immersive
8:27
really know what they're doing by
8:28
bringing these fantastic shows to Virgin
8:31
Voyages. So well done Holly. So let's
8:33
talk a little bit about the plot and
8:34
what to expect during the show. So as I
8:37
mentioned before, you are a guest of
8:39
Lady Valentina's Emporium of Excess. And
8:43
the story actually follows the ownership
8:45
of this emporium of excess because Lady
8:47
Valentina herself is leaving her role as
8:50
the owner and manager of the emporium of
8:52
excess and is now looking for somebody
8:55
else to take over the ropes. So the show
8:58
kicks off with Lady Valentina along with
9:00
the other members of the cast giving
9:02
some really fantastic vocal and
9:04
choreograph performances of those modern
9:07
songs with that jazzy twist. If you're
9:09
interested in knowing what music to
9:11
expect during Up with a Twist, we've
9:13
created a playlist which is available on
9:16
vbinsider.com
9:17
and you can subscribe to that playlist
9:19
on both Apple Music and Spotify. So
9:22
during the opening number, the
9:23
introduction, you're going to be
9:25
introduced to a number of the other
9:27
different cast members. Each of the cast
9:30
members will be dressed in a different
9:31
color and that's going to become
9:33
important in just a moment. So hold that
9:35
thought. But each of these cast members
9:37
will introduce themselves later on in
9:39
the show as they v for attention from
9:41
the audience and garner support for
9:44
their takeover of the Emporium of
9:46
Excess. And this is the real crux of the
9:49
story. Lady Valentina is looking for a
9:51
replacement that she can really trust.
9:54
And who else can she trust but the
9:56
guests of the Emporium of Excess. So you
9:59
as the audience are actually in control
10:01
of who takes over the Emporium of Excess
10:04
at the end of the story. And what better
10:06
way to decide the new owner of the
10:08
Emporium of Excess is simply just to
10:11
base it on talent alone. So each of
10:14
these cast members are going to perform
10:16
a variety performance just for you to
10:19
garner your support and get your vote.
10:21
This is where that real variety aspect
10:24
of the show comes in because each of
10:26
these cast members have their own unique
10:29
talents and abilities and they're going
10:31
to show that off for you during the
10:33
show. And although many of these acts
10:35
include live vocals, it really depends
10:37
on the cast at the time what spectacular
10:40
talent you're going to see on the show.
10:42
When we went along ourself, we saw
10:44
things like sword swallowing, aerialist,
10:47
and also acrobatic performances and tap
10:50
dancing. So, it really was a mixed bag
10:53
of incredible talent and it's blended
10:55
into the show really, really well with
10:57
the help of this fantastic live jazz
11:00
music that runs throughout the whole
11:02
show. Now, between all of this
11:03
incredible talent, you also have some
11:05
really fun comedic interlude by some
11:08
members of the cast as well. And some of
11:11
those members of the cast also want to
11:13
get your vote, too. So, expect to see
11:16
some really fun campaign pleas by some
11:18
members of the cast as they storm the
11:21
stage and try and get your attention.
11:23
This includes quite a surprising moment
11:25
because when we first went into Up with
11:26
a Twist, we were not expecting some
11:29
drunk lady to storm the stage and start
11:31
swinging on some of the equipment. But
11:34
that's exactly what happens in a part of
11:36
the show which is actually incredibly
11:38
fun. and it's a part played by one of
11:40
the vocalists on board that you will see
11:42
in other shows around the ship that have
11:44
much more of a serious tone. So, this
11:46
really proves that this cast can do it
11:48
all. So, as I mentioned before, during
11:50
each of these variety performances, your
11:53
food and drinks will be swapped out
11:55
periodically. The cast will let you know
11:57
when a new drink is on its way because
11:59
they'll play a little musical interlude
12:01
of When the Saints Go Marching In, which
12:03
is your cue to finish your current drink
12:06
and expect your next one getting
12:07
delivered. During the show, there is a
12:09
small amount of guest participation, but
12:12
there is only one person who's actually
12:14
brought up on stage, and this is
12:16
organized quite discreetly. So, if you
12:18
don't feel like being that member, just
12:20
let the cast know and they'll choose
12:21
somebody else. Do not worry about it.
12:23
The only other bits of guest
12:24
participation is maybe the vocalist
12:26
choosing someone in the audience to ask
12:28
a very quick question, but apart from
12:30
that, the guest participation level on
12:32
this show is fairly minimal. So, when
12:34
all is said and done and all of the
12:36
action has happened, we get to the
12:39
final. And the final is where the
12:41
ultimate decision of who's going to take
12:43
over the Emporium excess is made. So,
12:45
how is this done? Well, I mentioned
12:47
before that this is all to do with who
12:50
the audience prefers and which talent or
12:52
variety performance has really captured
12:54
their imagination during that particular
12:57
show. And this comes back to the colors
12:59
of the costumes of the performers. And
13:01
this corresponds to a button on the
13:04
table lamp that's right in front of you
13:06
at your table. And this is where during
13:08
the show you'll be asked by the cast to
13:10
cast your vote using these buttons. Now,
13:14
there is only one of these lamps between
13:15
a table of around six or eight people.
13:18
So, it's actually a quite a fun moment
13:20
where people are jabbing the buttons
13:21
corresponding to the color that relates
13:24
to the cast member that they want to
13:25
vote for. But, you could have somebody
13:27
else on the table that disagrees and is
13:29
choosing a different button. So, expect
13:30
to see a moment of chaos as people are
13:33
choosing their favorites. But once all
13:35
is said and done, the votes are locked
13:37
down and the colors have been chosen.
13:39
There's then a short pause as one of the
13:41
tech team come up to the stage to tell
13:44
Lady Valentina who is going to be the
13:46
new successor of the Emporium of Excess.
13:49
And it's at this moment the finale will
13:51
be decided because whomever has won the
13:54
Emporium of Excess ownership is now
13:57
asked to perform one more time their
13:59
variety act for everyone to enjoy. And
14:02
this leads us to a really warm and
14:04
fantastic finale where everyone
14:06
celebrates the new ownership of the
14:08
Emporium of Excess. So, expect people
14:11
out of their seats dancing with their
14:12
final cocktail and enjoying the
14:14
atmosphere and the live music of the
14:16
finale. It's a really nice celebratory
14:19
moment and everyone is in a really good
14:21
mood, especially after those inclusive
14:23
cocktails. You are of course welcome to
14:25
take that final cocktail with you out of
14:27
the mana and enjoy it later because we
14:29
have heard some feedback that the amount
14:31
of drink that you get during the show is
14:33
maybe too much to drink all in that time
14:35
span. So up with a twist joins another
14:37
rose which started on Resilient Lady as
14:40
the next paid for dinner style show. And
14:43
in our opinion the quality of both of
14:45
these shows is really well matched and
14:48
because the show is so good, the food is
14:50
lovely and the cocktails are included.
14:53
We really think that $50 charge for the
14:56
ticket is very reasonable indeed, but it
14:59
really depends on your personal
15:00
preference. If you're not a drinker or
15:02
you generally wouldn't see one of these
15:04
shows on land, you might be better
15:06
saving that $50 for something else.
15:08
Always remember, if you're ever looking
15:10
for any information on the events on
15:12
board Virgin Voyages, not just up with a
15:14
twist, but everything that's available,
15:16
please head over to vvincider.com
15:19
and click on events. We have a
15:21
description of each of the events
15:23
available on board including some of
15:26
those happenings events that happen
15:27
through the day and the evening as well.
15:30
We haven't written about everything, but
15:32
we know that there's a huge amount of
15:33
information there already and we're
15:35
getting through all of the other
15:37
information as quickly as we can. So, do
15:39
follow along, subscribe to our channel
15:41
for more event highlights like this. We
15:44
also present the news for Virgin Voyages
15:46
every couple of weeks as well, as well
15:48
as really in-depth guides about how to
15:51
get the most out of sailing on your
15:52
Virgin Voyage. So, make sure you follow
15:55
along. And if you ever want to support
15:56
the work that we do here at VV Insider,
15:59
which is to get all of this information
16:01
out to as many people as possible, the
16:03
best way to do that is to book your next
16:06
Virgin Voyages vacation with VV Insider.
16:09
And to do that and for more information,
16:11
head over to vvincider.combook.
16:14
So until next time, happy sailing.
16:22
[Music]