JADAR

★★★★☆

Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance, the most successful dance show in history (even more successful than Riverdance), is currently embarking on a 30th anniversary tour, subtitled 30 Years of Standing Ovations.

LOTD was born out of Michael Flatley’s frustrations with Riverdance and conflicts over creative control. He left Riverdance the same year it premiered; the following year, he created a show that could tour arenas and stadiums, not just theatres. There are some noticeable differences between the two, with LOTD having a linear narrative whilst Riverdance is an abstract, allegorical journey. Whilst LOTD is focused solely on Irish dancing, Riverdance has some international influences, and LOTD is more intense and dramatic than the classical and elegant Riverdance.

The narrative is a standard good versus evil story which works just fine for a dance show; there is no need to complicate it. Whilst ballet can be difficult to follow for people new to it, LOTD is immediately accessible and easy to follow, even for children. However, the narrative forces the dancers to work overtime and double as actors, which some do better than others. Having recently seen Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man, where the performers are both strong dancers and actors, the merely satisfactory acting of Lord of the Dance was noticeable.

However, the choreography and dancing are, of course, impeccable. The performers have razor-sharp timing, syncopation and speed, proving the production maintains the highest athletic standards even decades later. These are the crème de la crème of Irish dance. If you have ever seen lesser Irish dance shows, the difference in technicality, technique and talent is astounding. I was grinning throughout – almost as much as the dancers themselves, whose faces must hurt as much as their feet.

The integration of live violinists, soaring Soprano vocals, and Gerard Fahy’s epic musical score provide an immersive backdrop. The set is simple, but slick, allowing the performers to become the spectacle, but we are transported from scene to scene with cutting-edge lighting and large-scale video screens.

Where the design falters is in its costuming. Whilst the traditional costumes are gorgeous, the modern costumes, from hooded crop tops to leggings, take you out of the Celtic fantasy – and the women stripping off feels gratutious and, frankly, beneath the show.

An additional problem is the pacing issues, with abrupt (and unnecessary) blackouts disrupting the momentum.

There is also arguably an overreliance on nostalgia, with the male leads encouraged to replicate Flatley’s exact style rather than bringing their own characteristic nuance, as is the case with other shows. Purists will be glad of this but it’s a shame not to allow the performers the chance to make the role their own.

Whilst Flatley’s presence is felt throughout, the show goes a step further, beginning with a montage in which we are told how ground-breaking the show is (as if we didn’t already know) and ending with not one, not two, but three Flatleys dancing onscreen. It feels a little self-indulgent, and it takes focus away from the live dancers – but they do get to close the show.

Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance stands the test of time so there is no need to rely so heavily on nostalgia nor radically modernise the costumes. Whilst both of those things are unnecessary, the decision to do two completely opposite things at once, possibly as an attempt to appease both purists and progressives, creates a jarring contrast. I appreciate the desire to stay relevant but that does not require you to put your female performers in hooded crop tops or have them strip down to their underwear (you could start by embracing diversity in the cast – and no, redheads don’t count as diverse).

Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance runs at Palace Theatre Manchester until July 5 and tours the UK until October 17.