Dance, Dance Wherever You May Be…

Lord of the Dance @Brian Doherty

Naomi MacKay watched Lord of the Dance at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre – where the show runs until Thursday 17 October, with two shows on the last day.

Can you believe it’s 30 years since Riverdance first appeared at the Eurovision Song Contest, giving Irish dance a whole cool new persona – and turning lead dancer Michael Flatley into the rock god of the Irish jig?

Michael’s own Lord of the Dance brand shows have been wowing audiences around the world since 1996 – and this one is no different.

The story is a classic fight between good and evil as the Dark Lord and the Lord of the Dance battle throughout the show.

To be honest, the story is almost non-important – the stars of the show are the frenetically fast-flailing feet of the cast of dancers, led by the Lord Matt Smith and the Dark Lord Zoltan Papp.

The female dancers led by ‘good’ Saoirse (Tiernagh Canning) and ‘evil’ Morrigham (Andrew Papp Kren) enchant with their skills in a range of stunning and super-sparkly costumes, adding soft shoe dances along with percussive dances.

Anyone who has ever danced in any way will appreciate the skill of the troupe, tapping, clicking and leaping in perfect time, and lovers of Irish dance and music will be enthralled by it all – including the two fiddlers, who manage to play expertly while twirling in impossibly high heels.

The staging is simple, with background screens creating the drama – and it works very well. The final battle between good and evil is punchy and dramatic.

And the joy in the audience was palpable – with plenty of toe tapping, whooping and clapping – at times it felt like we were at an Irish Ceilidh in a pub – just with a lot more people. And a few took to dancing in the aisles during the finale!

Oh, and while Michael Flately no longer leads the show – there is a treat in store for fans, with an onscreen performance.

I wasn’t sure if a whole show of Irish dancing would hold my interest, but the night flew by – grab a ticket while you can!

Dates: Now until Thursday 17 October. Tickets are available at: www.atgtickets.com/aylesbury (bkg fee) or call 0844 871 7615 (Fees apply).