(AD – PRESS NIGHT) LORD OF THE DANCE HULL REVIEW
HULL NEW THEATRE
TUESDAY 10TH MAY @ 8PM
*** 3/5
Another week, another press night at my local theatre! Following last week’s the Cher Show viewing, we’re giving musicals a night off and going to the classic Lord of the Dance! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this production so I was excited to relive it. Take a look at my Lord of the Dance Hull review.
PRE-SHOW THOUGHTS
When I say I’ve seen this show before, I’m pretty sure it was Lord of the Dance and not the one who must not be named. It was one of the first shows I saw growing up, despite being a ballerina at the time. However, I’ve always had an appreciation for other styles of dance and once I discovered a love of tap, the fascination of Irish dancing began to grow. Whilst both styles use tap shoes, they are VERY different!
THE CAST
Whilst it’s definitely an ensemble piece, there are a handful of leading roles. Matt Smith (not that one) takes on the typical ‘Michael Flatley’ role of Lord of the Dance. Handpicked by Flatley himself, you can see why. His dancing is obviously electric but he’s a typical charasmatic leading man. On the other side, Zoltan Papp takes on the role of The Dark Lord (again, not that one), the villain of the story. His acting is probably the best of all as he commands the audience frequently. Again, the speed of his feet is spectacular!
Moving onto the ladies, Lauren Clarke and Frances Dunne take on the roles of Saoirse (good) and Morrighan (evil) respectfully. I’d love to have seen more of them as a pair as they were both beautiful dancers. That dynamic between good and evil left a little to be desired because they didn’t get to explore it for very long.
Cassidy Ludwig as the Little Spirit is a crowd favourite. However, I’d have loved to have seen her dance a little more! When she did, you could tell she was talented! Erin the (singing) Goddess was played by Celyn Cartwright. She had a beautiful voice.
Giada Costenaro Cunningham and Aisling Sage as the fiddles/violinists were integral to the show, appearing several times during and in between dances.
THE PRODUCTION
We’ll start with the dancing because it really is the highlight. You get a mixture of traditional Irirish dancing along with Irish tap dancing too. I was thrilled with the skill on show and obsessed over the formations made throughout. The dancing is worth five stars because they really are the best of the best.
Now to the negatives, the storyline. To say it’s non-existent is an understatement. I know it’s a dance production but there is a story. It’s not really brought through until the second act and it just feels a little weak. If it could be padded out a little and have some acting skills on show, I’d be a fan.
I felt there were some strange references at stages too and times, a little dated. The women are beautiful, strong and talented yet stripped off a costume a la Burlesque into hot pants and a sports bra. Then the men stripped off their shirts and it went a bit Magic Mike. There really wasn’t a need for either, considering the talent and beautiful costuming.
The fight scene between Lord of the Dance’s army and The Dark Lord’s army was VERY West Side Story. It felt a bit panto at times with booing and cheering. I personally aren’t a fan of clapping along to every upbeat number because I like to appreciate the sounds of the taps!
The large screen at the back of the stage was a little distracting at times as were the stage lights. However, it was the first night of shows in Hull so tech issues are common. The backing music was a tad too loud and it meant the taps were hard to hear at certain points.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This cast are exceptional dancers and taking nothing away from that, they deserve more. Whilst I know there have been updates to the show in its 25 years, it could do with a major revamp. The dance numbers are perfectly fine but it needs more substance with the story and acting. There didn’t seem to be a need for the removal of clothes other than a woo from the audience. I’d question the need for a singer as again, it felt like she was just there to give the dancers a breather. Integrating her into the story a little more is all it needs as she is worthy of being in the show.
This production is very slick from start to finish and the cast are the absolute highlight. However, I’d update the show a little with either more of a story or sacrifice it altogether and have a collection of dance.
Lord of the Dance the 25th Anniversary tour continues until July with UK dates found here. If you enjoyed my Lord of the Dance Hull review, you can find more theatre reviews here. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter for more stagey adventures!
