REVIEW: Lord of the Dance of the Sunderland Empire

Lord of the Dance

Sunderland Empire

Until Saturday 12 September 2026 and touring

First mounted thirty years ago, Lord of the Dance is still a dazzling display of Irish dance and a sprinkling of other Celtic folk traditions, delivered by a hugely talented and hardworking company. Though the flimsy plot that is interpolated, only half-committed to by some of the cast, and the unexpected video presence of the show’s creator, Michael Flatley, seem to add little to the evening, it remains a rousing crowd-pleaser.    

With the appearance of Riverdance on the Eurovision Song Contest in Ireland in 1994, the world became suddenly aware of the exciting choreographer and dazzling Irish dancer, Michael Flatley. This was Irish dance on steroids, freed from some of its constraints and woven into a bewitching and truly exciting entertainment that marked its dramatic crossover into mainstream entertainment. It became a successful stage show, with the addition of elements of other dance styles. When Flatley parted company from Riverdance, he created Lord of the Dance as a showcase for his talents, combined with a polished supporting company.  That show is now thirty years old. Flatley, of course, is no longer dancing in the show but he still has total artistic control.

The show is really an extravaganza of Irish dance, with musical interludes provided by a singer and a pair of virtuoso string players. The softer elements of the medium are contrasted with the resonating taps, kicks and heel clicks that characterise Irish dance for most people. There is, however, a flimsy storyline running through, whereby some bad guys in black seek to dethrone the titular Lord (Lucas Lawton) while two contrasting females compete for his attention. This is laced through the dance set pieces by a charming elfin figure in a sparkly gold costume, looking like a cross between a pixie and a Balinese temple dancer.

Lucas Lawton heads up the cast in Flatley’s role, mirroring almost exactly his expansive, strutting persona. He is clearly an exceptional dancer, though he pays only minimal attention to the acted elements of the plotline, notably an unconvincing fight scene with his nemesis, the Dark Lord (Joe Howarth).  But, in all honesty, it is really all about the dancing and this company of 40 terrific dancers deliver that with great panache.

The supporting female dancers, the Lord’s partner, Saoirse (Katie Coates), and Morrighan (Erin McPolin), the dark-haired temptress, are technically stunning and persuasive in their roles. The Dark Lord is committed to his role as pantomime villain, as well as an exciting dancer. Gerard Fahy’s sensational music runs throughout and underpins the dancing brilliantly.  

This is a hugely entertaining evening. I have, however, a couple of points that slightly niggled. With a video at the beginning focused on Flatley and the show’s inception, plus a deal of portentous posing in monk-like robes, the show took over 5 minutes to really get started. Also, just before the end, a video is interposed showing 3 images of Michael Flatley, presumably from 20 years ago, competing to show off his technical brilliance. Though that brilliance is undoubted, it seemed an odd inclusion in a live show, as if he was saying, ‘Sure, these guys are good but look how amazing I used to be.’  I’m probably being churlish and, no doubt, hard core fans would have been delighted to see the man himself. After all, it is still, resolutely, his show and one that brought the Sunderland audience rousingly to their feet.

As an aside, I must apologise for the lack of namechecks. The company didn’t provide a programme or a cast list, so I am somewhat at a loss.

Review: Jonathan Cash

Tickets:

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