Lord of the Dance Review

February 2, 2017 by Claire Cosgrove

Last night I had a glimpse into Michael Flatley’s fantasy world and it left me feeling a little grubby, although… not wholly unsatisfied.

Michael Flatley is an Irish envoy with the fastest feet on the planet. He proclaims that his lifelong ambition is to showcase Irish dance as a dynamic, powerful art form and his latest offering, Lord Of The Dance – Dangerous Games, is certainly trying to do exactly that.

I remember the first time I saw Riverdance, back in 1994 at the Eurovision song contest in Dublin. It literally took my breath away. I had never seen anything like it before and I watched it again and again. Flatley put Irish dancing on the map and he has never looked back.

It was a mixed audience at The Cliff’s on Tuesday night. Some undoubtedly pulled by the memory of Riverdance, some for the nostalgia of traditional Irish dancing and others, it would seem, to witness some bulging biceps and scantily clad ladies.

I have to say, it was one of the strangest things I have ever seen.

The dancing was absolutely incredible. No question about it. Athletic and agile, the dancers virtually hovered in the air as they leapt across the stage. It is truly mesmeric. Their strength, commitment and talent was astounding. The Lord, played by James Keegan and then mysteriously replaced with Matt Smith in Act 2, were both extremely impressive. The music was also engaging and haunting. It was the staging and story that made the whole show rather perplexing.

There is a story, I think. Even the programme only dedicates just one small paragraph to the premise of the show. The Lord of the Dance emerges from the dreams of the Little Spirit… A classic tale of good versus evil… defeat the Dark Lord…hmm, OK.

Did Flatley put all his teenage fantasies into the show? The female dancers wore very little; black bra and knickers, red cat suits with a hint of S&M, white lace leotards. Just a little eye popping during some of the more energetic routines. Not to be outdone, the male dancers ripped off their t-shirts and flexed their muscles at the rather excitable audience, whatever chance they got. One scene looked like a cross between Terminator meets Full Monty! There is nothing more peculiar than dancing robots and half naked men in flat caps, in an Irish dancing tryst. I started to get a fit of the giggles.

It was thoroughly entertaining, although probably for all the wrong reasons. Having said that, the audience lapped it up and they were rewarded to a standing ovation, of sorts. Wow, it really was a sight to behold! Still feel a bit baffled and just a little flushed.