We didn’t need water bottles or Instagram or ‘experiences’ in the 90s, because we had Michael Flatley and Lord of The Dance, and that was all the sustenance and show we needed.
Lord of the Dance – A Lifetime of Standing Ovations celebrates the success of Flatley’s phenomenon in a gloriously over-the-top new production with novel musical elements and choreography enhanced by state-of-the-art technology and special effects lighting. The result is an immersive sensory feast that the 90s just could not have imagined.
Flatley first shared his signature interpretation of Irish dance with the world at Eurovision 1994 when his performance transformed the profile of Irish dancing – and indeed of Ireland – globally. The show that followed, Lord Of The Dance, has sold out over 1,000 venues and been seen by over 60 million people across 60 countries, making it one of the most successful dance productions in the world and without question the most re-watched VHS in my household in 1998 (not by me – it was my sister who was the steadfast fan, and who was my more than enthusiastic companion for the evening).
You couldn’t go to a party in the 90s without someone getting drunk and channeling their inner Michael Flatley; an overtly virile yet nonetheless charming character with feet that can move at the speed of light and the rhythm of a god. It’s hard not to be captivated by Flatley and his shows, which today, although he has retired from performing himself, retain all his energy, garishness, and unbounded joy.
Indeed, that is the thing about Lord of the Dance, whether you’re a fan or not, it is impossible to deny the astounding accomplishment of Flatley and the overt talent and dedication of his team, and it is further impossible not to grin your face off while watching.
A Lifetime features 40 young performers, most of whom were not even born when Flatley debuted the dance, led by veteran dancers Matt Smith and Cathal Keaney as the Lord. The spectacle opens with a video sharing the success of the show since its inception, a bit like an unnecessary advert seeing as we’re already in the theatre and evidently sold on the idea. Nonetheless, it does hype you up; against my best defences, I felt a little bubble of excitement start to form. Then comes a slow, gentle start, but it soon builds and before long all the boxes are being ticked: click-clacking feet, bravado-infused mega-jigs, the stompy strong males softened by the light and bouncy fairer sex whose shoes are quieter and movements airier.
The spectacle is masterfully paced; the audience is giddied up and then soothed down at such a rate that maintains both interest and emotional buy-in. The special effects transport you to Ireland, heaven, space, and hell. We watch a necessarily basic plot unfold that follows a traditional tale of good versus evil; pure versus spicy. I particularly liked the army of malevolent men, having a penchant for toxic males, despite the ‘good’ gentlemen appearing to battle them topless and sporting peaky-blinder style caps – fabulous. There are plenty of cheeky outfit changes and ‘surprises’ – the kind of saucy that was just about comfortable in the 90s and today is reassuringly naive.
Everyone looks fabulous at all times. I witnessed more hair, highlighter, and bright white teeth than in any other show. Even the violinists were resplendently overdressed and contoured to unnaturally beautiful heights. The music is loud, the set sparkling, and the energy effervescent. At times, it felt a bit like an advert for Ireland, and an excellent one at that.
Flatley holds his motto, "Nothing is impossible, follow your dreams," at the forefront of his work, and cheesy as it is, you can’t argue that what he has achieved with Lord of the Dance wholly reflects this belief. At the end, the audience leapt from their seats to give a standing ovation. Well, we had to, didn’t we?