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Lord of the Dance
Bristol Hippodrome
Until Sunday, December 6
By Suzi Dixon
Real men do dance. Fact. As Ricky Whittle and Chris Hollins prove on Strictly Come Dancing every Saturday night on the Beeb’s ballroom floor. And now, closer to home, the stunning cast of Lord Of The Dance are proving that at the Bristol Hippodrome.
This show is an unstoppable machine of dance excellence, seen by over 50million people in 40 different countries since its inception by the undeniably manly Michael Flatley in 1996. Its latest stop at the Hippodrome is a fleeting one, but the sold-out first night audience proves its ensuring appeal to pre-Christmas theatre-goers of all ages.
I was a little sceptical, however. I enjoy a good Irish jig as much as the next girl, but how can one dance number be stretched into an entire show – with an interval?
The answer is a combination of clever choreography, slick costume changes, seamless gear-shifts of tempo – and, of course, the aforementioned totty. The men had biceps on their biceps, while some of the dads and granddads in the audience may have needed medical attention after viewing the skimpy costumes of the superfit ladies (think Hot Gossip meets Jane Fonda meets The Pussycat Dolls, with a Celtic twist).
Another thing that kept me rapt was the storytelling in the choreography. The ‘good’ and ‘evil’ dancers, led by The Lord of the Dance and the evil Don Dorcha, respectively, added real excitement to the show. Special mention must go to Don Dorcha, who was played with such menace that he elevated the character beyond the usual pantomime villain with a mere raise of his eyebrow.
The finale, and indeed the night, belonged to the lead, the Lord of this dance. His ‘everyman’ appearance belied true charisma and jaw-dropping skill – a worthy successor to Flatley as a swoonsome leading man.
Add pyrotechnics, strobes and glitter and it had more sparkle than Bonfire night. As Len Goodman may well say on Saturday – ‘Ten!’
For more information:
Bristol Hippodrome, St Augustines Parade, Bristol BS1 4UZ
Tel: 0117 302 3333
www.bristolhippodrome.org.uk
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