Review: LORD OF THE DANCE, The Alexandra Birmingham - UK tour
Undoubtedly one of the world’s most renowned dance shows, Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance once again ventures out on tour, this time celebrating 25 years of the show. Productions of Lord of the Dance have been seen by over 50 million people over the last quarter of a century across 56 countries.
Using the classic tale of good versus evil, the story of Lord of the Dance follows the dreams of the Little Spirit where the Lord of the Dance represents all the good in the world and he has to fight the evil Dark Lord and his Warriors. The Lord of the Dance also finds himself between his true love Saoirse and Morrighan the Temptress. Whilst the overall storyline is easy to follow, there are some dance numbers that don’t entirely make sense or add little to the narrative. Had the dance numbers flowed smoothly into one another, it may make the storyline clearer, and a few too many of the routines are followed by a blackout rather than a visible transition, which frequently disrupts the show unnecessarily.
The Irish dance troupe starring in the show are all incredibly talented performers; each and every one of them dances Flatley’s masterful choreography with such precision and synchronicity so that they all move as one in each routine. It is customary for an Irish dance show to have the tap shoes of the performers miked up so that audience members can hear every single step and tap in some of the routines. However, at times, it is unclear as to whether the taps which can be heard are live from the dancers onstage or are pre-recorded by the legendary Michael Flatley himself.
All of the costumes worn onstage are designed by Adrian Gwillym and Jeanne Spaziani. Together, they have created dazzling outfits which have the perfect balance of inspiration from the show’s traditional Celtic roots and Flatley’s more contemporary style of Irish dance. Over the 25 years of Lord of the Dance, it’s no surprise that there have been changes to the original costumes worn, but whilst changes have been made to embody the spirit of the newer generation of dancers, there are several of the newer designs which still embrace features of the original costume pieces.
Of course, an Irish dance show would be incomplete without the music, and Lord of the Dance is no exception as it features a stunningly dreamy score composed by Gerard Fahy, who is known for combining traditional Irish music with various other music styles. It is a shame that the show’s score isn’t performed live as it would lift the performance to make it even more magnificent. However, there still is an element of live music to the performance in the form of beautiful vocals from Welsh singer Celyn Cartwright, and traditional Irish music on fiddles played by Giada Costenaro Cunningham and Aisling Sage.
As Lord of the Dance celebrates its 25 years of performances across the globe, it proves that despite parts of the show hindering the flow of the storyline and a slight lack of embellishment to the production elements, it is still a marvellous show which continues to mesmerise audiences across the globe with a phenomenal troupe of dancers performing Michael Flatley’s legendary choreography.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Jess Dalloway
Lord of the Dance plays at The Alexandra until 19 June, before continuing its tour. Tickets are available here.