Director and Choreographer: Michael Flatley
Composer: Gerard Fahy
Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance has been touring for an incredible 27 years, performing to over 70 million people in 60 countries on every continent and in more than 1000 venues. Ask any aficionado of the Irish Dance scene and they’ve likely seen it at least once. So what gives the show such staying power?
Is it the folklorian plot, where Little Spirit dreams a classic tale of good vs evil, where the eponymous Lord of the Dance must fight The Dark Lord and his army? Is it the tempestuous love triangle between the Lord and Morrighan the Temptress’ plans to seduce him away from his true love Saoirse? Is it the astonishing way the story is told purely through music, song and choreography, or the gorgeous costumes, or the sumptuous set and lighting?
Whatever it is, the show is a guaranteed good night out, whether you are immersed in the dance form or not. It’s a good introduction for newcomers and Flatley fans alike. Similarly to how Matthew Bourne revolutionised ballet and modern dance, Flatley is synonymous with catapulting Irish Dancing into the 20th Century, and even now he manages to capture a fresh, evocative feel with the updates for the 2024 tour. These include increased use of video technologies and specialist effects, new and reimagined music from composer Gerard Fahy, and choreography from Flatley himself, plus an updated look for costume and set, all of which seamlessly honours the traditional original while elevating the show for current audience tastes (although it does look a bit like some high school cheerleaders and theatre kids took time out from their production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream to have a fight with the diesel punk goth kids after they bullied Oberon’s little sister).
While Flatley has long ago stepped down from playing the Lord, Matt Smith is an excellent lead who ably takes up the mantle. The interplay between him and Tiernagh Canning’s Saoirse is especially lovely to watch. Joseph Howarth’s Dark Lord is suitably menacing and the scenes with him and his army are the highlight of the show. Andrea Papp-Kren’s Morrighan is sumptuous and sexy and it’s no wonder that Smith finds her hard to resist. The playfulness that Cassidy Ludwig infuses into Little Spirit keeps the audience’s spirits up through the darker plot lines. And behind them all – probably the true stars of the show – is a chorus of athletic and astonishingly talented young dancers who tie the show together. Along with the beautiful vocals of soloist Celyn Cartwright, and fiddlers Niamh Leahy and Giada Costenaro Cunningham, everyone on that stage looks to be having the time of their lives up – even the slightly jarring triple projected Flatley, who should perhaps rein in that scene of self-indulgence and fully pass over the mantle the new generation of dancers as it’s the only time the audience attention seems to wane.
The new look is a little less folksy than in previous tours, and it is sad to see some of the classic costumes retired, although there are still nods to the classic costumes throughout. The use of the video backgrounds elevates the show to feeling like an arena tour, even in the objectively quite small Sheffield City Hall. And Fahy’s music is divine in its own right (although there’s an argument to be made that the volume is a tad loud at certain points which can be overwhelming when added to the gun crack like heavy shoe taps).
There’s a reason that Lord of the Dance is known as one of the most successful dance shows of all time. It was an instant classic when it premiered, and almost 30 years later the shine shows no sign of wearing off. What gives the show such staying power? It’s completely undefinable, and long may that continue. It has certainly earned its Lifetime of Standing Ovations.
Runs Until 26 October 2024
