Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance: A Lifetime of Standing Ovations
Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh
For the opening night of this tour, that will tour the UK until November, there was a fantastic atmosphere on a warm summer night entering the historic theatre. Almost thirty years on the mechanics of the show are still the same, the dancing, the blazing fiddles, the costumes, those titanium heels and the energy had people on their feet before the first interval.
The audience were passionately engaged from start to finish and there is not break in energy or the sense of occasion. The Little Spirit played by Cassidy Ludwig brings a sense of fun, her challenge on The Dark Lord in this tale of good vs evil is both playful and entertaining. The concept of grace challenging power is a fascinating construct for any dance show.
The Dark Lord and his gang are a foreboding presence. It’s an astonishing achievement that Lord of the Dance has performed to more than 60 million people around the globe giving Irish dancing a shot in the arm that will help the art form survive in the face of globalisation.
Michael Flatley himself appears on the big screen during an arresting introduction and later during a Fred Astaire style dance routine. Significantly these transmissions from Flatley work well, having his presence around is a nice touch. His percussive moves battering against the floor continue to mesmerise.
There’s not doubt this show in particular connects with people and touches lives, his American Dream style introduction is true to a certain extent but not everyone has a talent such as his or indeed the sheer drive to bring it into reality. It’s clear people feel they have journeyed with him over the decades, through his seasons of illness and through his times of triumph.
When Lord of the Dance first debuted at The Point Theatre, Dublin in July 1996 Irish culture was enjoying a high-peak, the Celtic Tiger Boom had exploded, Irish pubs and culture in the 1990s enjoyed a resurgence. Lord of the Dance unlike the Celtic Tiger was not just for a season. The joy was palpable as the audience spilled out onto the streets of Edinburgh brimming with enthusiasm as they took some of that joy into pubs, buses and the streets in front of them.
