Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance has been astounding audiences around the world for more than twenty-five years.
So it is a huge privilege to the theatre-goers of North Staffordshire that the latest version is making a stopover at the Regent Theatre for three nights of awesome showmanship.
A packed audience that included a range from the youngest dance lovers to the more mature were treated to an evening of tightly-knit and expertly choreographed dance routines that exhausted the onlooker with their breathtaking expertise and intricacy.
But if the newcomer to the Flatley experience believed that the show would be nothing but many versions of the same dance then he was to be rudely and very entertainingly proved wrong.
The devotees of this show would be very disappointed if the iconic dances did not take place – they do and the audience cannot fail to be whisked along with the sheer enthusiasm, talent and joy shown by the young cast – but there are enough variations on the theme to keep even the most hard-bitten viewer enthralled.
Add in all that is best about the Irish musical culture – some delightfully plaintive songs including one in Gaelic and glorious Celtic violin interludes are woven into the telling of a piece of Irish folklore – and a magical evening is guaranteed.
Following a pre-recorded intro by the creator himself, the story begins with the Little Spirit having a dream that the Lord of the Dance will triumph over the Dark Lord and ensure that good will overcome the evil in the world. To do this the Lord of the Dance must beware the lure of the Temptress if he is to spend life with his True Love.
The story allows the Creative Team of Flatley, Gerard Fahy and James Keegan to forge an unforgettable production. Michael Smith and Cathal Keaney lead the cast of 40 in the dancing – the superbly crafted battle scenes are a highlight – but the whole experience is beautifully enhanced by dramatic state of the art technology and special effects lighting.
Spoiler alert!! Good does defeat Evil and this allows a superbly triumphant finale that had the crowd spontaneously on to their feet – yet another to add to the Lifetime of Standing Ovations. Flatley claimed that he wanted to make stars of all his performers and his aim is being achieved.
My father often declared that his worst experience would be being forced to watch a Michael Flatley Show. He got most things right in life but was completely wrong I his judgement. This is as uplifting an experience as anyone could wish for. In Flatley’s native Gaelic it was dodhearmadta!! Miss it and you will regret
The show continues until September 8th and has a running time of approximately two hours and ten minutes. For ticket information contact atgtickets.com/stoke
