Lord of the Dance – Sunderland Empire

In 1984 this reviewer remembers the interval performance for the Eurovision Song Contest held in Ireland when Michael Flatley brought the spectacle of Riverdance to a new global audience. This Irish dancing brought him fame and he would be forever known for his incredible, breath-taking toe tapping. This short piece became a full length show. He went from this to create further master pieces including Lord of the Dance.

It is 30 years ago that Lord of the Dance began its life and tonight at the Sunderland Empire a talented troupe of toe tapping dancers sweep onto the stage to take us through a nostalgic feast of breath taking dances and a spectacle that will surely live in the memory for a long time.

The storyline is simple, based on a fight between good and evil. We follow Little Spirit (Evia Hayter) and the Lord of the Dance (Lucas Lawton) as they battle against the Dark Lord (Joe Howarth) and his army. There is also a love triangle between the Lord of the Dance and Morrighan (Erin McPolin) and Saoirse (Katie Coates).

The set is simple with a large video wall projecting the scenery of enchanted forests and the underworld making this is a wonderful backdrop for the dancers. Old video footage of Michael Flatley is also shown, illustrating the nostalgic link between the beginning of Lord of the Dance and today’s updated version.

The dancers’ costumes are traditional Celtic outfits with embroidery and sparkling details. The Dark Lord and his warriors contrast well with their more dramatic costumes. There is also a contemporary costume element when the dancers appear in glittering, colourful outfits and at one point they discard some clothing and appear in shorts and crop tops. Not to be out done, the men also discard their black tops gaining them a cheering “Whoop!” from the audience.

Dramatic and colourful lighting is an outstanding feature of this show and deserves high praise. The dark, fiery imagery is particularly effective during the scenes involving the Dark Lord. The lighting also catches the dancers costumes as they move thus making the fast footwork extremely dazzling. The lighting creates a theatrical spectacle rather than this being simply a dance show.

The music combines traditional Irish tunes with rhythms that drive and complement the dancers fast, thunderous tapping sequences. There are also duelling fiddlers, Iona Ritchie and Aisling Parslow, who take centre stage and provide a delightful interlude between scene changes. The songs from the soloist, Cleo Griffin, who has a wonderful, clear voice, provides some touching moments.

Naturally the star of the show is undoubtedly the dancing with the choreography being spectacular and breath taking. The speed and flawless timing of the dancers create unforgettable moments. The men are impressive with the speed of the taps and high elevated kicks. These toe tapping sequences contrast well with the soft shoe dances from Saoirse’s maidens and their light, delicate jigs.

Lucas Lawton brings high energy to his role and also the iconic, arrogant, swagger, that one remembers of Flatley when he created the Lord role, is clearly seen. His high kicks and fast foot work were extremely impressive.

Another mention must go to Evia Hayter, the delightful Spirit of the Dance. Her delicate, sparkly costume and head piece gave her an elfin look which was adorable. Her interactions with the Lord created both a playful and emotional scene when her flute is taken from her by the Dark Lord and is broken. Her timing when miming the switching off of the lights was perfect.

A delightful surprise comes at the end of this show after everyone takes their bows. We are treated to an encore with holograms of not one Flatley but three. This links well with the beginning of the show when videos and voice overs from Flatley tell us of his hard work and dedication to bring the show to what it is today. He states “If you have a dream…..follow it”, as he did. The result being a brilliant, toe tapping show to remember tonight at the Sunderland Empire.

Runs until 12th September 2026