Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games – State Theatre Melbourne

Having never seen a Michael Flatley production I wasn’t sure what to expect at the opening night of Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games.

I knew there would be lots of dancing but thought it would predominately be the Irish form of tap I have seen advertised to promote Flatley’s previous shows.
What I didn’t expect was a singer, acrobat and two glamorous fiddler players- although on reflection the fiddlers shouldn’t have been a surprise given their dominance in Irish culture.

Judging by the crowd reaction on opening night at Arts Centre Melbourne’s State Theatre fans of Flatley’s other productions loved this new show. There was lots of very enthusiastic applause especially for the `big ticket’ productions which involved all 34 cast members showing their great tap skills.
While there wasn’t quite the same applause for the more traditional style ballet dance sequences there was no doubting the skills of the performers. The female acrobat who featured in a number of the scenes was quite amazing.

The leads – Morgan Comer as Lord, Tom Cunningham as the Dark Lord, Andrea Kren as Morrighan and Erin-Kate McIlravey as Saoirse  – all performed extremely confidently and energetically. Corner was particularly keen for audience feedback.
Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games is said to be the story of a classic tale of  good vs evil based on old Irish folklore, as well as a passionate love story expressed through dance styles rooted in the traditional form of Irish dance.  I must admit to seeing this story-line more in the second act than the first!

Having not seen previous productions I’m not sure how Dangerous Games compares, but the show is being promoted as offering a new score, costumes, special effects and choreography.
Singer Rachel O’Connor performs several numbers while costumes range from robot style outfits to white flowing gowns to black bras and stockings.

There are pyrotechnics and holographs including a projection featuring  Flatley and his amazing foot work.  He isn’t appearing live but created, directed and choreographed the new show.          Back projections support the different numbers and include  green fields, forests, celestial bodies, volcanoes and the underworld.
Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games is extremely loud, colorful, energetic and sure to appeal to fans of the Lord of Dance phenomena.
The show is on at Arts Centre Melbourne’s State Theatre until October 4. It then travels to Canberra, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sydney. The Dangerous Games website has more information and ticket details.

Jenny Burns attended the opening night of Dangerous Games as a guest of Lunchbox Theatrical Productions and David Atkins Enterprises.