REVIEW: Flatley presents Lord of the Dance Dangerous Games. Liverpool Empire Theatre

On Monday 9^th Jan, I was privileged to attend the press night of Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance – Dangerous Games. It was my second time witnessing the show and it captivated my attention once again. I first saw the show when it premiered back in 2014. It may as well have been the first time of seeing it. I saw it with fresh eyes though as the show had been re-invented.

Flatley’s tenet is that if you have a dream and you are willing to work hard for it then nothing is impossible. He has certainly achieved his dreams of consistently creating an astonishing show under the Lord Of The Dance theme. Over the past 20 years, the show has historically sold out arenas across the globe. Fans new and old continue to appreciate the undeniable talent of The Lord of the dance company.

Dangerous games is Flatleys newest and most exciting adventure.  Preceded by shows such as Celtic Tiger and feet of flames, the production continually breaks records. It is a magnificent mix of contemporary and traditional dance moves which engages the audience and leaves you in a state quite comparable to inebriation.

Whilst Flatley does not actually perform in person, his legacy lives on through his talented generation of dancers. Flatley states “My dancers are the real stars” and he is absolutely right. The audience are treated to a virtual performance by Flatley and his son via the huge projection screen which takes centre stage.

The show is a classic tale of good versus evil and the Lord of the dance story emerges from the dreams of the little spirit, played by Jess Judge who is so graceful in her movement and exudes an ethereal  energy and pure innocence. Her acrobatic gymnastic skills are excellent, she is light on her feet and moves around the stage with stealth and finesse. In her dream, the Lord of the dance represents all things good in the world. He fights against evil. His rivals are the dark Lord (Zoltan Papp) and his army of dark disciples. Morrighan the seductress comes between the lord and his one true love Saoirse.

With two acts there is a mixture of dancing and musical interludes in the form of vocal performances by Erin the Goddess (Sophie Evans). Whilst she demonstrated superb vocal ability particularly in “Dance our lives away” there was something disjointed about her appearances. It was initially not clear to me what her role was. It transpires that her intended role was to explain through song the words that the dances convey. The show progresses at great speed despite the 30 separate numbers. It's amazing how quickly two hours goes by when you are engrossed by the expertise in front of you.

Flatley’s protégé James Keegan is outstanding. He has such an incredible rapport with the audience and his fellow dancers. He performs the lead role and hypnotizes the audience with his sheer technical brilliance and ability to translate the emotion of the protagonist. Similarly, the battles with the dark Lord (Zoltan Papp) are electric and the two work remarkably well together. 

The set design was simple yet fabulous and split across two levels. The sound was full of bass and the lighting too added to the power of the experience. The tension is built and the dark presence of the evil dark Lord and his disciples entrances the audience, reeling them into showing their allegiance to the Lord of the dance. The contrast between light and dark reinforces the theme that underpins the show. Light versus dark, good versus evil. It is not all doom and gloom, scenes such as “Dance of light” and “Celtic dreams” are uplifting offerings with scenes of dancers in fairy like attire with unicorns projected on the screen in the background.

The speed of the choreography increases as the plot thickens and the intensity grows. Some scenes would be terrifying for the younger audience member I am sure, with evil characters projected on the screen. Spectacular display of extreme physical fitness and technical skill. Produced, choreographed and directed by Michael Flatley,it is no surprise that the show is precise and phenomenal in its thrilling execution.

My only criticism would be to question the necessity for the bare chested chieftains and the scantily clad female dancers, especially during "Freedom". It seemed unnecessary and ironic that this was adopted as it was not particularly liberating and played to gender sterotypes, making the scene overtly sexual.

Music composed by Gerard Fahy is superb and complements the choreography beautifully.

The Lord of the dance’ entourage; his chieftains are magnificent. The energy between them is electrifying.

 Fiddle players Giada Costenaro Cunningham and Nicole Lonergan were exuberant and built the energy much to the delight of the audience who clapped and stomped their feet in response to the music.

The whole show is an exquisite display of Irish dancing as is so customary of any of Flatley’s shows. This was a phenomenal showcase of talent and definitely worth a watch. 

Running until Saturday 14^th January,

Running time: 2 hours 10 minutes (including interval)

Running until Saturday 14^th January,

Tickets are available here