Jo Turbitt is both impressed and frustrated with the long-touring production.
Lord of the Dance is an Irish variety show which is at its strongest in its ensemble work. Dancers, fiddlers and singers, powered along by a hardcore soundtrack, make this show a true Ceilidh. The hard shoe routines are powerfully stunning and the more modern soft shoe numbers are more enticing than the traditional.
There is no doubt that this is a talented troupe of dancers. The precision in footwork and formations, along with the company’s dynamic energy and flare, is matched by the grandeur and oomph of Irish folk music, which is injected with sass. The rhythms and fast footwork are hypnotising.
So why on earth did the producers feel it necessary to pimp-up the talent with electronic screens and back projections? They add nothing what-so-ever other than a touch of naffness and an edge of Eurovision. This show needs to be left to the talent.
Take away the electronics, the unnecessary stripping and the plot to allow this show to speak simply and truly from its roots. It doesn't need a storyline. It doesn't need the faff of LED screens; the simplicity and beauty of the formations in the choreography, layered on top of fantastic footwork, is the beauty of Irish dance and is clearly this show’s strength. I was engrossed by the choreography at times but then brought back to my seat with a bump when gaudy arena style visuals were projected behind them. Let this show be what it is naturally trying to be: an entertaining evening of Irish talent, tradition and majesty.
Totally worth it for the finale and encore.
Currently touring the UK.
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