Nikita Kuzmin Midnight Dancer Review

Reviewed by Jess at London’s Peacock Theatre
Ticket was gifted in return for an honest review.

Nikita Kuzmin, International Latin dancer and professional on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, embarks on his own tour of the UK, backed by the creative team behind the tours of fellow Strictly pros Johannes Radebe and Oti Mabuse. A recipe for success, the show is described as a show-like-no-other, encapsulating a story of fighting for love. 

Photo by Danny Kaan.

Nikita seems to be on that tried and tested trajectory of the Strictly pro who builds a fan-base and becomes a celebrity in their own right. This deserved sky-rocket into his own realm of popularity was apparent from the raucous crowd who had flocked to support him. The show delivered in its task to showcase his dance talents and it was fun, high-energy and exhilarating! The audience adored him, his performance and his apparent sex-appeal and he was met with nothing but laughs and love during his audience interaction sections.

The choreography was really enjoyable, clever and transitioned between pieces immaculately whilst still creating clear divides between the themes of each number. I did feel that the overarching creation of the show relied a little too heavily on the very well-known tropes, that we see appearing time and time again in dance productions, both on stage and screen. The inclusion of the Barbie movie choreography, songs from Burlesque, and a spoof on the Dirty Dancing lift for example, are all fun cultural references, but have been repeated so regularly within the dance world that they become a little tiresome. Never-the-less, they did seem to be crowd pleasers, along with such songs as Moulin Rouge, Raining Men, Roxanne and Proud Mary. I felt the best sections of this show were in the second half, where the tone took a slightly more serious note and the music choices were a little more original. 

Similarly, the story of love and for fighting for what's right that we were promised, felt very conventional, treading a repetitive girl-caught-between-baddy-and-hero plotline, and seemed to be clumsily shoehorned into only a third of the numbers. I felt that the show would’ve run much smoother had this supposed storyline been axed, and it simply have been a showcase of the many varied dances they performed.

Photo by Danny Kaan

The cast of dancers was diverse, both in look but also the specific dance styles they brought to the show and I thought they supported the principal dancers with exuberant energy and talent. Thomas Charles was a stand-out for me; an eye-catching and powerful dancer! The star of the show though, was undoubtedly Andreea Toma, Nikita’s dance partner and love interest throughout the show. The Romanian professional Latin dancer exquisitely showcased the beauty of true latinand ballroom dancing with remarkable skill. I felt this group of talented dancers would have soared even higher with even just a few extra days rehearsal, as there were noticeablemoments where they appeared out of sync and there were not one but two dropped props through the show. The evening included a range of dance styles and whilst these were performed admirably, much of the show is based on latintechnique and styling. The lead dancers, Nikita and Andreea, being so skilled and experienced in that style, I thought almost took away from the supporting dancers’ talent as they were clearly not able to match this level of niche, honed skill. As wonderful as the troupe was, I would have loved to have seen a more ballroom trained cast to showcase the dance style that the general public have come to love through watching shows like Strictly Come Dancing.

Rebecca Lisewski, the onstage singer, was phenomenal. She delivered nothing but powerhouse vocals throughout a wide range of songs, and due to her West End background, looked perfectly at ease on the stage. She was seamlessly integrated into the choreography and staging, something that’s not always true of the singers who accompany dance tours. 

The costumes I felt had questionable range, with one number being performed in really impressive, professional level latincostumes, and the next looking like it might have come from the high street, with bras on show and holes in tights. Less outfit changes but better quality, in my opinion, would’ve felt more slick and true to the show.

Photo by Danny Kaan.

Ultimately, I think that show may appeal most to fans of Strictly Come Dancing and Nikita himself of course, rather than dance aficionados! The show could’ve been braver in veering away from the more stereotypical dance show tropes, but with an energetic, talented and passionate cast, I have no doubt that Nikita and his dancers will continue to delight audiences all over the UK, before the tour ends in late May.

Find full tour dates and venues here https://www.nikitalive.co.uk/