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A review from 5D Music & Theatre writer Maria Robertson
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I remember when Michael Flatley came to the fore and folk were first talking about Lord of the Dance, I’ve seen bits on television through the years and clips on Youtube more recently. I’ve always wanted to see it as I love dancing and I love celtic music. As a child I did tap dance and ballet classes, never to this level obviously, the speed their feet go was mesmerising. My son has danced in a few pantomimes and has been brought up with an appreciation of music so he was my obvious choice of a companion for the evening.
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This tour is the celebration of 25 years of Lord of the Dance shows and it started with a montage of clips and photos from through the years and the man himself explaining about his dream to create this new dance form and share it around the world. Accordingly the show started with the song Nothing Is Impossible, some girls in floaty dresses gliding around the stage and we’re introduced to the Little Spirit, who’s story is told throughout the performance as the Lord of the Dance comes up against The Dark Lord and his Warriors.
My perception was that it was spring coming through, I thought the Spirit was a bud, and then the leather clad “baddies” set the world on fire and it becomes a classic good versus evil, or light versus dark.
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Either way it was a glorious spectacle: of gorgeous costumes, amazing dance moves, brilliant music and fabulous musicians. It’s not just the dancers that dance – the fiddlers do too and there’s something breath taking about the speed they fiddle and the fact they can wiggle and jiggle along with it. There was also a singer, Celyn Cartwright, with a stunning voice. My son was chuffed as she sang Mo Ghile Mear in Irish Gaelic and he understood some of it, although its Scottish Gaelic that he is fluent in. (I just wanted her sparkly shoes!!)
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Matt Smith played the lead dancer, and gosh could his feet go! He was up against Dark Lord Zoltan Papp who played the scary guy very well! I’ve never seen such an attractive and alluring fight scene as when they came up against each other, sparks really did fly! The leading ladies were Niamh Shevlin playing the soft pretty Saoirse with Andrea Papp Kren playing the dark vixen Morrighan.
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To be honest everyone was amazing, but I’ve not time to list them all, suffice it to say that you really need to see this show, its utterly spectacular. There’s a reason Michael Flatley has inspired 25 years of standing ovations and that is that he produces outstanding shows.
All the dancers are so fit and so well practiced, and its obvious why they would devote their waking hours to playing their part in bringing his fabulous dream to fruition, the smiles on and off stage say it all.
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Further information and remaining tour dates: https://www.lordofthedance.com/news/lord-of-the-dance-25th-anniversary-show-25-years-of-standing-ovations-k99w5s/
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Maria Robertson is the Chief Music & Theatre Writer for the 5D Pop Culture Website and provides reviews & coverage of local Aberdeen music & theatre gigs. She’s an experienced writer for numerous sources and is a self-confessed live gig addict ever since seeing The Counting Crows at the Barrowlands in 1994.
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