Date Reviewed: 24th March, 2009
Venue: Opera House

As the hauntingly beautiful music played on a low whistle echoes across an almost empty stage, and the deep voice of John Kavanagh flows across the audience, the scene is set for what turns out to be a foot-stompingly good evening’s entertainment. Riverdance is back in town on what they say is the Farewell Tour, but we’ve been there before and they still come back. Although when it produces such as great a night as this, then that’s not a bad thing.

The Riverdance Irish Dance Troupe fill the stage with energy and at times noise. Anthony Fallon and Maria Buffini are the two principal dancers. Fallon is an excellent technical dancer but at times lacks the sheer showmanship of the original principal. Buffini is also technically excellent but again lacks the magnetism to really draw the audience’s attention. This is really nit-picking, though, as the two of them carry their dance pieces stunningly well.

The musicians all get their opportunities to shine but a special mention must be made of Niamh Fahy, whose fiddle playing leaves the audience breathless. Guy Rickarby shows a wide versatility in percussion, Toby Kelly shines during the saxophone solo in the second half and Eamonn Galldubh makes theUilleann pipes a truly magical instrument.

The songs of the Riverdance Singers with soloist Brioni Gallagher, are closely interwoven with the dance and music providing a beautiful counterpoint to the vibrancy of so much of the rest of the show.

Although known as a showcase for Irish dance, this evergreen show incorporates a variety of dance styles. There are pieces by the Moscow Folk Ballet Company who astound the audience with their dancing, and flamenco dancer Maria Claudino has two evocative pieces. However one of the real high points of the evening was the tap routine by Parker Hall and Toby Harris which culminated in a dance-off between tap and Irish dancing. Played for both skill and comedy, this routine had the entire audience cheering both sides along.

Bill Whelan‘s music is atmospheric and expressive, ranging in style for each part of the show. Those expressions are lovingly woven together by Director John McColgan. For those who have doubts over how much entertainment you can get from watching dancers only move their feet, this is the show to prove just how entertaining it can be.

In short, Riverdance is as good as it ever was.

-Helen Jones

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 24th, 2009 at 5:29 pm and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.