Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance is a worldwide phenomenon having played in over 50 different countries and played to over 50 million people. The show is back in the UK and celebrating its 25th anniversary with a spectacular new tour and it's not hard to see why audiences keep on coming back.
The show is a sort of Irish-fairy tale with the Lord of the Dance at the heart. Told through the guise of a dream of the Little Spirit, it's your typical good versus evil story as the Lord must take on the Dark Lord and his army of warriors. The Lord must also battle against the Morrighan the Temptress who tries to come between him and his true love Saoirse. The story does get a little lost in the first act but becomes a little clearer as things progress.
Flatley's vision to bring dance to the masses has worked and under his leadership as director and choreographer, the assembled 25th-anniversary company and creative team come together to create a show that delights. If anything the show felt too short, I left wanting more!
It's undeniable that the dance is of the highest quality. It all looks effortless, the company moves with real pace, synchronicity and skill. The Celtic flair is enthused in every movement and you sit in awe, especially at the ensemble numbers including the show-stopping 'Planet Ireland' finale.
At the performance, I attended the Lord of the Dance was played by Matt Smith who, as with the entire company, is a master at the dance. He holds such grace and poise and delights the audience as the story's hero. Zoltan Papp matches Smith as The Dark Lord and creates a commanding villain. The duo have a particularly impressive duel sequence in the second act.
Niamh Shevlin's Saoirse glides with the grace and beauty of a princess that befits the role beautifully whilst Frances Dunne's Morrighan ramps up the temptation as she tries to get the Lord to stray away. Cassidy Ludwig sweet Little Spirit adds a golden delight as her dream plays out.
Gerard Fahy's epic soundtrack adds an extra layer of brilliance and it matches perfectly the feel of the show. That Irish rhythm and beat flow with the action as it develops. The dancers too make their own soundtrack with their feet and together with Fahy's soundtrack and the soundscape provided by Wigwam Acoustics.
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Vocals are provided by Celyn Cartwright who as Erin the Goddess has the most serene voice as she sings a few songs throughout the performance. Giada Costenaro Cunningham and Aisling Sage are the icing on the show's sound with some extraordinary fiddle playing. It's all a joy to hear as you're swept up in this spectacle.
Visually the show is embossed by great video design by Universal Pixels. These help to differentiate between the locations and set the scene for the audience especially the scenes involving the fiery Dark Lord. Costumes by Adrian Gwillym and Jeanne Spaziani also impress as does lighting by Lite Alternative.
The show boasts 25 years of standing ovations and the rapturous ovation at the end proves that even all these years later Lord of the Dance is still the number one dance show worldwide. Epic staging and astonishing dance. This show will continue to conquer everywhere it goes and rightly so. I'm still yet to pick my jaw off the floor. Phenomenal.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lord of the Dance plays at Leicester's De Montfort Hall on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th April - tickets are available from demontforthall.co.uk/. The show is touring the UK with dates through until July. Visit https://www.lordofthedance.com/ for full tour dates and booking.
You can catch me speaking with Cathal Keaney who shares the role of the Lord of the Dance in the tour below all about the show below.
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