Those that do not know of the show would probably well know its spiritual fathers Michael Flatley, and even more likely Riverdance, from which Lord of the Dance sprung with a proper spring in its step. During the interval of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, Riverdance hit the world by storm as Michael Flatley and his troop of dancers possibly presented the most famous part of Eurovision ever, certainly of the non-singing variety at least. Here, this touring show brings that same style Flatley created from traditional Irish dancing across the country once again and it is truly something special to see.
The concept of the show is simply a battle between good and evil told through dance, and some captivating and stunning songs performed by Celyn Cartwright as Erin the Goddess.
Our tale opens with the delightful Cassidy Ludwig as the jovial and charming Little Spirit, who with the aid of some magical dust and her trusty penny whistle creates our troop of dancers led eventually by Lord of the Dance himself, Matthew Smith. It is a tale through ridiculous broad strokes, but it doesn’t matter as this is all about an incredible series of dance set-pieces. Be they the boys of good or bad battling it out in a tough guy duel, or a lighthearted battle of the sexes, either way, it is simply incredible.
The driven Michael Flatley now no longer performs in this show, of course, but the show felt his presence a lot in a series of films projected boldly upon the screen that elsewhere provides a visually brilliant backdrop. The films themselves are self-obsessed, but, behind all great successful ventures, there is always a driver of that venture, so this moment of celebration is permitted, of course. Late in the show, there is also a wonderfully constructed film of three Flatley's dancing against one another. It is a clever piece of film that shows the talent of the man himself expertly.
Declan Durning plays the bad guy, the Dark Lord, with his own confidence and is stronger and more aggressive in his routines which befits the character. Durning’s high-kicking duel with Smith is one highlight of the evening.
The ladies, meanwhile, while not quite having that strength, have a more delicate style, and Lauren Clarke as the good girl Saoirse and Cyra Talyor as the bad girl Morrighan lead their own individual groups in some stunningly beautiful numbers. Also showing amazing skill are Giada Costenaro Cunningham and Aisling Sage, who dance in high heels and play the fiddle wonderfully all at once. Brilliant.
.jpg)
Lord of the Dance also looks the part. There are a series of brilliant costumes from Adrian Gwillym and Jeanne Spaziani for instance. While the show is superbly lit and with brilliant projections, the whole show looks wonderful.
Musically, this is also, of course, a brilliant evening, from the aforementioned wonderful songs sung by Cartwright, to the work of composer Gerard Fahy. It sounds as good as it looks.
Lord of the Dance: 25 Years of Standing Ovations is every bit as good as you would expect of the greatest selling dance show of all time and to see it locally upon the stage of the Royal & Derngate is a real treat. So, did they get their standing ovation you ask? Well, pretty much they did.
The legend lives on.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Performance reviewed: Tuesday 5th April 2022 at the Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton.
