Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance :
A Lifetime of Standing Ovations
A vision to behold, Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance: A Lifetime of Standing Ovations, is the multimedia dance showcase you didn’t know you needed to see.
A mixture of archive footage, live performance, fiddles and singing, this show gives not only an incredible performance of ‘The Lord of the Dance’ but also the story behind the sensation, which has been seen by 60 million people worldwide.
My knowledge of Michael Flatley was hazy. I have some vague memories of seeing the Irish Dancing pro on the TV as a child, but I really didn’t know what to expect from this show. Of course, I knew Michael himself wouldn’t be centre stage, but I was pleasantly surprised at how his story was interspersed with the live performance.
One thing I did know to expect was fast paced Irish dancing with percussion, high-kicks and legs that move faster than Usain Bolt, and wow, it did not disappoint. The dance troupe’s talent is out of this world. The entire troupe danced in complete unison, and made it look effortless. The choreography felt modern, and although at times a little more ‘sexed up’ than I remember (I certainly could’ve done without the writhing on the floor), the entire performance was flawless.
Special mention must go to Matt Smith, who fully embodied the role of The Lord. I was a little worried that no one could quite live up to Michael Flatley, but Matt certainly does! Everything about his performance was perfect; the rhythm, the percussion, the bravado, the chemistry with everyone on stage and even the audience. He is the perfect lead.
Equally, Tiernagh Canning stuns in the role of Saoirse. Tiernagh glides throughout her performance with such grace and beauty. She makes dance look easier than walking, despite having some of the most high-intensity choreography of the show.
Giada Costenaro Cunningham and Helena Gullan gave a standout performance on fiddles this, along with Celyn Cartwright’s powerful vocals in her role of Erin the Goddess, gave a wonderful element that I wasn’t expecting.
I was blown away by the percussive rhythm from the Dark Lord, Zoltan Papp, and his army of Warlords. Although I felt the Dark Lord character was a little pantomime at times (he was met with boos from the audience of longstanding fans), his performance was second-to-none and The Warlords were incredibly impactful.
The finale was outstanding. The choreography, costumes and staging encapsulated everything I envisage when I think of Michael Flatley and Lord of the Dance. It was high energy, visually stunning, and most of all powerful. It was, of course, met with a standing ovation – another to add to the list!
This show was reviewed on Tuesday 23 July at Hull New Theatre, where it runs until Thursday 25 July. Find tickets here: Lord of the Dance - A Lifetime of Standing Ovations – Hull Theatres
Full tour details here: Official Lord of the Dance Tour Site | Lord of the Dance Tickets
Review written by Mel Cooper
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