MICHAEL FLATLEY’S LORD OF THE DANCE is approaching its 20th birthday and as someone who had never seen one of his shows before and had, I must confess, had previously little interest in doing so, I can now say that I fully understand what all the fuss is about.
LORD OF THE DANCE: DANGEROUS GAMES is the latest iteration of the franchise that has made Mr Flatley an international megastar and was written, directed and choreographed by the great man himself.
There was obviously no shortage of hard-core fans in this opening night crowd and those that have seen the shows every time they’ve been here would undoubtedly have been expecting something bigger, brighter and better, and judging from the audience reaction, they were not disappointed. For a first-timer such as myself, this really was the quintessential ‘you had to be there’ event– impossible to convey in words just how vibrant, flamboyant, visually spectacular and downright joyous the performances were.
The show has a vague storyline– the Lord is separated from true love Saoirse and faces a formidable foe in the Dark Lord and his legions of cyborgs. Additionally, he has to contend with the seductress Morrighan so that good can triumph over evil– I won’t give the ending away.
Yes there were some slightly boring bits, graphics that veered in the direction of kitsch and a passable, if not overly memorable musical accompaniment.
However, it was the sheer exuberance of the 34 performers combined with phenomenal technical skill and a vast array of fabulous costumes that ranged from traditional to fascistic military (with a bit of high camp thrown in) to cyborg that made the night so memorable.
When you get that many hot-looking, super fit, super talented people on the one stage at the one time it’s hard to go wrong. When you combine that with amazing choreography that incorporates elements of traditional Irish folk dancing and the original Riverdance concept, Cirque du Soleil theatrics and cutting-edge artistry, you have a winner.
The best numbers for me were the ones that filled the stage – rows of girls and guys clicking with a ferocity and dexterity that left spectators old and new breathless.
Morgan Comer, the new Lord of the Dance, has superstar written all over him, Tom Cunningham as the The Dark Lord more than held up his end in the dance-off ‘fight sequences’, while Saoirse and Morrighan were also memorable.
Special mention should also go to Rachael O’Connor, the 17-year-old finalist from Britain’s The Voice, who provided the musical interludes as Erin the Goddess.
And, without wanting to give away the whole ending, Mr Flatley himself puts in a special appearance via holograph that reminds everyone exactly what transfixed them about this dance medium in the first place.
The Lord of the Dance franchise has taken on a life of its own, with several shows running simultaneously to sold-out audiences all over the world, and after finally seeing one I can fully understand why– for hard-core fans and novices alike, Dangerous Games will leave you with an ear to ear grin.
MICHAEL FLATLEY’S LORD OF THE DANCE: DANGEROUS GAMES is playing the Capitol Theatre until Sunday 25th October. Remaining performances are tonight at 8pm, tomorrow at 2pm and 8pm and Sunday at 3pm.