JADAR

★★★★☆

Emerald Storm is an exciting fusion of tap and Irish dance, featuring live music, alongside some iconic shanties and pop songs. Choreographed, directed and produced by renowned Hollywood and stage star (& tap dancer) Adam Garcia, Emerald Storm is a toe-tapping, feel-good experience that will leave audiences astounded at the raw talent and variety on show.

Emerald Storm is the brainchild of Adam Garcia, co-choreographed and directed by Samantha Heather and Tim Newman, boasting a wonderful blend of performance styles that feel like a cross between a variety, cabaret and dance show. It consists of a variety of ensemble Irish and tap dance performances, alongside some solo dances by lead dancers Bayley Graham and Olivia Graydon as well as pop ballads sung by renowned singer Tom Ball. 

I went into the show feeling quite tired after a long day, and by the end I felt energised by the wonderful talent and passion on display. Before I talk about the actual performance, I want to discuss the pre and post-show entertainment. Before the show, a wonderful live music act, Fiddlin’ About, played some traditional Irish music that eased the audience into the show, and afterwards, producer Tim Newman welcomed audience members to perform their own tap counts of 8 onstage at a West End Theatre. From the get-go, the audience are involved and immersed in the performance space.

The Emerald Theatre is highly alluring as a venue, boasting a lovely art deco interior, alongside charming cabaret seating. The actual theatre space was part of the magic of this show, allowing us to feel as if we were guests in a genuine cabaret bar and really become immersed in the technicalities and passionate performances of the dancers.

When the show began, surprisingly for a west End show, videoing was encouraged. Irish dancers flooded onstage, led by Olivia Graydon, who flaunted her technical precision and genuine passion. The Irish dancers looked like they were dancing on air, an effortlessness to each movement that was joyous to watch. Later on in the piece, a contrasting gang of Tap dancers, led by Bayley Graham, brought a messier, slightly raunchier 21st century rhythm to the stage. In Graham’s tap solo he brandished an attractive charm while tapping for an enormous amount of time with dazzling stamina and prowess.

Another solo performance that garnered a large response from the audience was the duet between a lowly Mop Boy (played by Matt Walker) and his mop. As the only character with much dialogue, Walker was a refreshingly comedic and unpolished presence, displaying the janitor’s journey from aspiring novice to tap dancer with bashfulness and endless likeability. Another standout was Tom Ball, who complimented the fabulous dancers with powerful pop ballads including ‘Halo’ and ‘Seven Years Old’. He reminded me of a mix between Michael Bublé and James Arthur, with an ability to entrance the audience, while not detracting from the dancers. 

Other than a one-off dance battle, the two dance troupes were a fairly united front, with the tap dancers teaching the Irish dancers to be less precise and vice versa. There was a sharing of skill onstage that allowed the dancers to form a collective, moving in perfect synchronicity by the end. The final number was such a raw and collective culmination of talent that I got chills at seeing such an exceedingly talented ensemble of dancers, supported by Ball and a female collective of backing singers, perform in perfect harmony. The creative team made sure that the singers and dancers were all allowed the opportunity to display their mastery in their respective disciplines. I was truly in awe at the talent on display.

As well as the prowess of the performances, I want to commend the attention to detail in the design. The lighting design (by Joe Wailes) worked harmoniously to accentuate the action. Many multicoloured lights flashed in perfect synchrony with the dancers movements, and they knew exactly when to dial back the flashy colours for a muted spotlight alongside some soft mood-lighting. Additionally, the costume design (by Martha Thorpe) reflected the growing collective identity of the dancers. In the first act, the Irish dancers had pristine black and emerald green formalwear with the tap dancers dressed in more casual monochromatic hoodies and leather jackets. In the second act, both groups took on the others colour schemes, with the Irish dancers skewing slightly more risqué and tap dancers blending more emerald into their wardrobe. This attention to detail added to the visual storytelling of the piece, allowing a throughline of togetherness to emerge, despite the lack of much dialogue or plot. 

Overall, Emerald Storm is a feel-good, truly unique experience that has something for everyone. It is clear that the performers are technically masterful, and the creative team knew exactly how to show off this collective display of talent, by allowing their performers to do what they do best. As a result, you can’t help but have fun alongside them. It was a real amalgamation of performance styles that uplifted each other in perfect harmony. I would recommend this show to anyone with a love of tap and irish dance, but also for anyone who loves a fun, flashy night of brilliant performances and charming choreography. 

Emerald Storm runs at the Emerald Theatre until December 14 2025 and tours the UK from September 3 to November 22 2026.

Photo: Nick Brooker