As I took my seat in the Palladium to await the beginning of Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games, I started to wonder if I was doing the right thing. I’d never seen Riverdance and had little idea of what to expect – what if I hated it?
I needn’t have worried. Yes, the story was basic – a simple good-versus-evil tale with some brightly-coloured, rather cartoon-like backdrops. Girls Aloud’s Nadine Coyle impressed with her powerful renditions of several ballads, but these were mainly interludes to the main event – the dancing itself, which was incredible. The young company tapped their way seemingly effortlessly through a number of witty and complex routines.
Michael Flatley himself didn’t appear until the last twenty minutes or so of the evening. He’s still a great dancer, although I imagine he can’t handle the full routines now. I didn’t mind about the lack of Flatley stage time, however, because I was so impressed with the dancer portraying the lead role of the “Lord”, Matthew Smith (three dancers alternate the role).
Despite initial misgivings, I left the theatre with a smile on my face, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this high-energy show.
