Theatre / Interviews
Review: Riverdance, Hippodrome
The problem with anniversaries is they invite comparisons with the original. Everyone knows Riverdance first became famous as a seven minute interval show in the Eurovision Song Contest in April 1994.
300 million people watched it then and over the years many more have paid to see the show, buy the soundtracks and the DVDs. It’s obviously doing a lot right to stay this successful.
But it’s clearly had to become more of a theatrical experience in order to sustain a two hour show. What’s interesting is how that’s been done.
Many additions are very successful, but some don’t work. First there’s a Tolkien Lite voice over –“a lone piper mourns Chú Chulainn (no me neither) the implacable Bronze Age warrior”. This just about gets away with it, setting the scene for a story set in a world of “elemental powers”.
What’s less convincing is when the production mixes traditional Irish dance (what everyone`s come to see) with other, international forms of dance like Flamenco and Russian folk (a bit Sunday Night at the London Palladium).
The exception is a “duel” between Irish dancers and jazz tap dancers in New York. This partly works because there’s a genuine narrative link – the impoverished Irish travel to the New World for a better life – but mostly because the ensuing routine is just so spectacular. The street dancers – DeWitt Fleming Jr and Michael Wood – are astonishing.
But the real stars are the principals Alana Mallon and Bobby Hodges. I was tipped off during the interval that Bobby is Bristol born, but what a treat to see that proven by catching him by being kissed by adoring relatives outside the Hippodrome as soon as the show was over. They should be very proud.
Riverdance is on at Bristol Hippodrome until October 6. Visit www.atgtickets.com/shows/riverdance/bristol-hippodrome/
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